


Love, In A Simple Touch

by LeopardprintHoodies



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Ballet, Dancing, Depressed Eren Yeager, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Levi is Isabels Guardian, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Self-Harm, Serious Injuries, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:02:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 33,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27665107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeopardprintHoodies/pseuds/LeopardprintHoodies
Summary: A soul mark that everyone things is a sign that his soulmate will abuse him. A handprint across the left side of his face.The most common kind of soul mark, a perfect handprint that made it almost impossible to know when he would meet his soulmate.But people say you always know when you meet them.Eren and his mother move away from Grisha after his abuse went too far, resulting in Eren looking sight in his left eye. Their new neighbours are siblings, a man named Levi who was the legal guardian of his fifteen year old sister named Isabel. Eren isn’t very good at making friends, he feels as though he isn’t very good at much as of late. When his depression begins to sky rocket Eren finds help in the Ackerman siblings. An unlikely friendship with a high schooler, and a strange bond with a tea shop owner. Trouble has a way of finding Eren, and his peace can’t last forever.
Relationships: Furlan Church/Isabel Magnolia, Levi/Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman/Jean Kirstein
Comments: 151
Kudos: 238





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, so after two (ish?) years of not having the courage to post my newer fanfiction I decided it was time to get things going again. I’ve missed the support and love from the ao3 community! 
> 
> Thank you so much to those of you who commented on my previous update for which fanfiction you wanted to read, it helped a lot! While I am aiming to post them all at some point I am a little busy, so one at a time. <3
> 
> I wrote all these on my phone notes (because it’s easier and more private) so finding spelling and grammar mistakes is a little harder and I do tend to miss a few despite how hard I try. I am sorry in advance!!! 
> 
> Anyway, I really hope you enjoy Chapter 1 <3

It started with the arguing, and like a butterfly effect it ended in a divorce fifteen years later. To say that Eren remembered a time when his parents weren’t arguing would have been wrong, at the dinner table, on the way to and from school, at parents evenings and on holidays, during birthdays and Christmas, they were always arguing. Eren was always silent, he’d watch them argue from the stairs, or listen at his bedroom door, he heard it at the dinner table and blushed like mad when it was in front of other people. He’d made the mistake of crying in front of them once before. His father yelled at him to be a man while his mother defended him which lead to more arguing and then SLAP! It was the first time his father had hit his mother. In retrospect if his mother had just continued to argue or slapped him back Grisha might never have done it again. However, whenever the physical abuse was brought out she shut up right away. 

This was one thing he used blame his mother for. Eren’s train of thought was that if his mother just fought back then Grisha might never have hit him. If his mother had just been strong enough to stand up to Grisha then Eren wouldn’t of had his first proper punch at the age of seven, he wouldn’t of lost his first three teeth due to abuse. As Eren grew he realises it wasn’t his mothers fault at all. He never fought back at the end of the day, he never tried to stop his father from hitting him or his mother either. 

They had one of those ‘save the marriage babies’ but instead it was a ‘save the marriage child’ when Eren got a sister at the age of eight. She also had the audacity to be older than him by a few months. A girl from Japan who was in need of a family. Now grown into a twenty year old with short raven hair and dark eyes that almost looked black. Eren resented her, his father loved Mikasa, praised her and she never saw the shit he did. His mother always told him to leave it, that Mikasa deserved to have loving parents. Did that mean he didn’t? 

When Eren woke on his twelfth birthday to find his soulmate mark he cried, he cried so much because how could he ever love someone who would lay their hand on him like his father did. A handprint on his cheek. The thumb was a little under his eye on his cheek bone while the hand spread to the side of his face, it covered his cheek and to his temple. The left side of his face now marked in a pale hand print, a clear contrast with his olive skin. So Eren started growing out his chocolate brown hair in attempts to hide it, growing it to shoulder length and learning how to cover it with makeup. 

Only a few really knew about the mark, the pitied looks he got hurt him. His soulmate would beat him just like his father did. His mothers soulmate had been her best friend who died in a house fire, his fathers had been his ex wife who died in a car accident. His parents weren’t soulmates. Eren always wondered if that’s why he was so damaged. Everyone met their soulmate, only very few didn’t, and the children born from soulless parents were thought less of. That didn’t mean a couple couldn’t love each other without being soul mates. Eren’s best friend Armin, his parents hadn’t been soulmates and he claimed that before their untimely death they had been very happy together. 

The final straw for his mother came when Eren was nineteen, five months before his twentieth birthday. 

An argument. 

A knife. 

A lot of blood. 

Eren couldn’t say he remembered a lot of water happened. He remembered waking up that morning and going to work, he remembered coming home and finding his mother in their upstairs bathroom covering up a bruise on her cheek, he remembered hugging her. His father had come home early, meaning his mother couldn’t go out anymore, they had eaten dinner together in silence and cleaned in silence. Something happened to Eren’s father between the end of dinner and the first beating. He’d come in looking angrier than he had ever been. He started hitting Eren’s mother and punched Eren a few times when he tried getting in the way to save her. Then his father pulled a knife from the block on the unit. 

It was all a big blur, one minute Eren was panicking thinking his father was really about to stab his mother, and the next there was a blinding pain in his left eye. Eren couldn’t see. He remembered the panicking of the loss of his sight, it only lasted a moment before he passed out from the pain. He woke four days later and only one working eye. 

His mother decided to move. 

His sister was never told what really happened. 

Eren’s depression sky rocketed. 

Without full sight he felt useless, what was the point in anything? His mother always told him to keep his chin up and things would all work out. Eren never believed her. He loved to dance, but he couldn’t do that without bumping into something or falling over and getting dizzy. He hated that he had a whole blind spot and how people scared him when they approached from that side. He hated how numb his face felt. Sometimes his eye itched so much he’d want to scream, but he wasn’t allowed to touch unless he was cleaning it. 

Now he had one wide sea green eye and one wide clouded eye. The doctors were extreme in their bandaging too. A pad and then bandages around his head to keep it in place tightly. The skin around his eyes was tender so they didn’t want to put any form of adhesive on it. They said he could move onto large square plasters when he started to heal more. So now Eren wore a very obvious injury that people like to stare at him for or ask him what happened. 

He guessed one good thing that came out of this was that he and his mother moved house. 

A whole new city. His sister was attending a university in the city along with Eren’s (and now her) best friend Armin. Eren was always jealous of Mikasa ability to make friends even when she looked so cold. She wasn’t a social butterfly by any means, but she drew people to her. She had a whole friendship group that included Armin, and Eren wasn’t apart of it. They had come to see the new house before the moving lorry had arrived. A short shaved head guy called Connie kept asking him about his eye and a tall two toned sandy blond haired long horse face who she called her boyfriend kept making stupid jokes. The only one Eren really could stand being with in that group apart from Armin was a girl called Ymir. Tall, brown short hair and freckles with dark eyes and a pissed off expression. She was quiet, only said a few words and never brought up the things Eren was clearly insecure about. 

He was thankful that they had only come for the takeaway and left. They wouldn’t be helping tomorrow when the lorry arrived. Eren let his mother take the sofa, their only piece of furniture in the house. He was on the floor with a thin blanket. Eren wouldn’t have slept even if he took the sofa. Instead he got up and went to the front door. Only in a pair of grey joggers and a black top. Eren looked through his coat pocket for his cigarettes, he didn’t really smoke since he was a dancer, only in times of great stress. Even then he wasn’t much of a smoker. 

Without any shoes on Eren stepped onto the wooden porch. It was strange, Eren had never lived in a house with a porch before. The neighbourhood was peaceful and quiet, houses detached with a good distance between them, but not so far they were a mission away. Only their back gardens were fenced off and the fronts were separated by drives with patches of grass between each one. Eren’s mother didn’t drive. His father never let her learn and before then she hadn’t had the money. Eren didn’t drive either. His father never let him learn. Now he would never be able to. So they had an empty drive for nothing. He supposed when it was warm he could dance and stretch on there. This neighbourhood didn’t seem the type to judge. 

Eren looked to the house next door, their bedroom light was still on, at three in the morning it was a little strange. Eren paid no mind to it though. The movers had said a man and his sister lived in that house. Apparently the sister was still in high school and he was her legal guardian now. 

Eren put the cigarette between his lips and lit it. Taking two drags before tiring of it. It tasted awful anyway. He instead brought his left arm out and turned it over to expose his forearm where there were multiple cuts, scars and burns from his own doing. Eren started there and had moved to his hips and upper thigh when he realised it was easier to hide them. He hardly ever self harmed on his forearms anymore. Tonight could be the exception. 

He looked down through his one eye and brought the lit end of the cigarette to his skin. It burnt, but it felt good. Eren continued to light the cigarette whenever he put it out against his skin, continuing to burn himself with it until it reached its end and all he had left was the butt of his cigarette. He stared at it for a while, contemplating getting a new one just to put it on his skin again. He didn’t though. Instead he placed the end in the bin on their porch that was tied to a wooden fencing pole. They still had yet to get their bins from the council so it was just plastic bags on the porch for now. 

Eren sat down and leant back against the wall of the house, his mother spoke about putting a porch swing out here. 

The only reason they could afford this place and to have nicer things was because his father had stabbed him. The man had paid them to stay quiet. He gave them a lot of money too, money his mother never known they had. It was either that or they paid a lot of money for lawyers and fought in court, his father was crafty and could sweet talk his way out of anything. They never would have won. So they took the money and moved away. It was better than losing money. It was more Eren’s idea than his mothers. She said they should fight at least Eren’s case because of his eye, but he’d accepted the money before she could really say much on it. She would never fight her own case anyway. This was just a lot easier and it meant they got rid of Grisha a lot quicker. Eren had given all the money to his mother and only kept a thousand of it to himself. His mother tried to protest, but Eren didn’t let her. He kept a thousand as backup money that he added to with his saved up work money meaning he had close to five thousand in back up. Just in case something went really wrong. 

The brunet didn’t know he was being watched by their new neighbour. Not in a creepy sense. The man had just noticed movement out of his window and looked out to find his new neighbour burning holes into his skin. He thought the two looked strange upon arrival. His sister had claimed the brunet man (who was very attractive in her words) had a bandage around one eye and his mother looked too happy as if it was for show. She’d been home sick from school so she had seen their arrival, unlike Levi, who had been in work. 

Levi was a fairly short man, shorter than most anyway. He stood at five foot five. Levi always praised whoever was out there that he was gay, because finding a girlfriend at five foot fuck all would have been the bane of his existence. At least men didn’t care if they were the taller one, well most men. He had pale skin and raven hair with an undercut. It curtained around his face and fell into his hard steal blue eyes, he had a slim jaw and defined muscles. 

Levi couldn’t say he was a saint, he was far from it. He grew up poor. His mother had taken in his sister when Levi was ten years old and she was only a few months old. Her mother died in childbirth and her father was some unknown man only good for giving sperm. Much like Levi’s own father actually. When he was eighteen he’d made the hard decision to place his mother in professional care. She stayed at a hospital now. Still he visited her a lot with his sister. 

Before he was eighteen Levi had been somewhat of a troublemaker, he’d been arrested, in fights, stolen, and vandalised. His mother always claimed he was just in with the wrong crowd. The wrong crowd was growing up in an area with a high gang rate and that being the only way to survive in his shitty world. It brought home some money though that he used for his sister to get a proper education. He’d worried his sister would have to turn to a life of crime after his mother was put into a hospital, but instead that night he’d stolen from a very wealthy man who just happened to catch him. Instead of getting mad and calling the police he invited Levi inside and listened to his story. 

He’d offered Levi a job, he had a few properties in town and was looking for investors. He offered Levi one and said he’d give him everything he needed to start a business, he’d put money into it and even gave Levi one of his many flats to live in. When his tea shop and cafe took off and Levi earned the money back the first thing he did was pay Erwin back, the second thing he did was buy him and his sister a place to live. A nice neighbourhood, far away from the crime ridden area he had grown up in. Years of being shot at, knives pulled out on him and actually being stabbed a fair few times were over. He’d not been too comfortable at first and turned to other means to get his fix. Self harm. 

He couldn’t live without the pain. When his sister Isabel found out she had cried so much that Levi never did it again. Instead he started smoking. It help him resist the urge to self harm and calmed him down enough to get his thoughts together. He always smoked after visiting his mother, without fail a cigarette would be lodged between his lips on their way out. His sister hated the habit, but she realised it was better than the alternative. 

Isabel was Levi’s reason for getting a better life. Her short ginger hair and wide doe like grass green eyes along with her still childish smile always imprinted in his mind when he thought back to how he got here. She had a few freckles on her slightly pale skin that was still darker than Levi’s own, she was short too five foot three and it was adorable. Levi certainly liked the height difference that was for sure. Isabel was fifteen now and Levi twenty five. Her soulmate mark had come when she was eleven, a round mark on her shoulder and spread to her chest just a little that looked as though someone would literally bump into her. Or Isabel would bump into them knowing her clumsy nature. Levi’s however had come when he was thirteen, the palm of his hand was now an olive colour. 

Levi’s mark frustrated him because do you know how many hands he had shook in his life time, really? They always said you knew it was your soul mate as soon as they touched you, or you them. So Levi always figured the ugly looking round business men weren’t his soulmate, thankfully. 

•

The sun rose too early and Eren felt too groggy from lack of sleep to get up, but his mother still shook him awake saying the moving lorry would be here any moment. Eren took both his first aid bag and makeup bag to the upstairs bathroom. He cleaned and redressed his eye first, and then moved onto covering his soul mark. His mother hated that Eren covered the mark, she always said that he’d never be able to find his soulmate if he kept it covered all the time. Eren didn’t want to find them, they would hurt him just like his father did, he refused to love someone who would lay their hands on him like that. Their first touch would be a literal slap in the face. 

So he covered it expertly and kept his shoulder length hair down to hide it further just in case the makeup smudged or he’d missed a spot some how. Eren then dressed in some skinny light blue jeans with the cuffs rolled above his ankle, and a baggy light pink jumper that was tucked into the front of his jeans. It was thin material and Eren liked it because he could even wear it in hot weather. He cleaned last nights burns and put plasters over them to ward off infection. Finally once ready he was downstairs again. 

His mother had tied her long black hair into a bun, a few silver strands made themselves know still Carla Jaeger was still a beautiful women even in her age. She was now forty five, not old at all, but she always complained she would be getting wrinkles soon enough. Her wide eyes matched Eren’s in shape, but instead were a honey brown, beautiful and shined in the sun. Her skin wasn’t as dark as Eren but she was still a little tanned and her nose shape matched her sons being soft and round. They matched in their features, Eren only got his hair and eye colour from his father. His plump lips and sharp jaw was all his mothers side of the gene pool. He was five foot six, annoyingly short for a man, but Eren had bigger worries than his height. 

Carla was now in a red skirt that reached just above her ankles and some dark brown boots, she had a beige knitted jumper tucked into the skirts waist band with a white vest underneath. It was late winter so the air was still a little cold. Her hair was tied back with a red scrunchy bobble, they had been apart of the stocking gifts that Eren had given her for the Christmas just passed. 

Their door was knocked on after teeth were brushed and breakfast skipped. Carla answered it to the movers and then propped open her door. The movers helped unload everything with Carla and Eren onto the drive way, but that’s as far as they went. So much for customer service. The two never said anything though and just got to taking the boxes inside. Eren picked up a box just as his mother was coming back for one. She passed him and placed a hand on his cheek where his covered soul mark was. Something she did ever since he’d got it. 

“Mama I’m going to drop it.” Eren reminded her of the heavy box in his hands. 

“Sorry sweetheart, I’ve put all the boxes on the right as you walk in.” She informed. Eren knew why she’s done it, it was so he could see the damn things and not trip over them. 

Eren was stubborn and he refused to use the cane that he’d been provided by the healthcare system. He hated it and just left it in the cupboard in what would be his new room. The brunet placed the box down and put a few of the lighter ones on top of the heavy one he had to make more room for now. He’d realised his mother hadn’t been in with a new box yet and went out to see if she was okay. 

Eren was then waved over by said women who was talking to a man and a young girl. He walked over, seeing the raven holding a large dish that was covered in foil, the girl also had a bakery box in her hands. Eren didn’t feel like meeting the neighbours just yet, but he breathed through it anyway and went to his mother. He could already see the teens eyes that were glued to his injury. Great. 

“Eren, these are our neighbours, Levi and Isabel Ackerman. They’re brother and sister, they came to offer us some lunch and help.” His mother beamed at him. 

“Nice to meet you.” The raven put his hand out, but Eren stepped back a little and away from it. 

“Oh, Sorry, my son has a thing about touching. He hates it actually.” Carla said with an apologetic smile. The man dropped his hand with a nod. 

“That’s perfect! My brother hates germs anyway.” The teen said with a smile and then it fell. “Whoops, that sounded really mean, I didn’t mean you had germs, I just meant like in general, sorry.” She tilted her head to the side a little and smiled. “What happened to your eye?” 

That was Eren’s cue to leave. His mothers eyes widened and her brother clearly caught the tension as he gently nudged his sister and said something about being polite. Eren shrugged and turned around to grab another box. Without saying a word he went inside. He did this while his mother and their neighbours spoke. The house slowly filling with boxes and then he was being helped by the other man who started picking up boxes. 

Eren made an idiot out of himself and didn’t look where he was going properly, he walked into the banister on the stairs to the porch, then into the doorframe, both on his left side. He growled to himself and shoved the box down a little too harshly. 

“You alright?” The raven man asked from behind Eren. He only nodded. “Your mother found a blanket, we’re going to eat lunch outside if you want to join us.” 

“No, thank you.” Eren muttered. Levi left without another word. 

Eren instead started to organise the boxes that were already inside. They were labelled with the rooms so all he had to do was either put them in the kitchen, in the living room, bathroom or in his or his mothers room. Eren didn’t have a lot of stuff, evident but only having two boxes in his room so far when they were over half way done with carrying them inside. The kitchen had the most and then his mothers room. 

The brunet went back outside and saw the three no longer eating and just sitting on the blanket talking. Eren paid them no mind as he started with the boxes again. 

“He’s not rude,” Carla shook her head while Eren walked back inside with the boxes. “Eren is just... he’s been through a lot.” 

“What happened to his eye?” Isabel asked again, hoping to get an answer from Eren’s mother. Levi nudged her and she frowned at him. 

“He was stabbed three weeks ago.” She told the girl who’s green eyes widened further. She played with the hem on her white top that she wore a blue jacket over. “He doesn’t like to talk about it.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Levi looked to the house that Eren had yet to come out of again. “If there’s anything we can do for you, you’re welcome over.” 

“Well aren’t you just sweet.” Carla gave them a warm smile. “We extend the kindness to you. Eren might not seem like it, but he’s really a softie. He has a big heart.” 

“We don’t doubt that.” Levi shook his head. “You mentioned about needing to go shopping, how about we take the rest of the boxes in and I can drive you?” 

“I couldn’t accept that, you’ve done so much already.” Carla shook her head to decline the offer. 

“It’s okay, moving can be a drag, Isabel can stay here with your son and help him start to unpack.” He offered. 

“Please, I hate shopping.” She begged. 

Carla giggled at that. “Okay, maybe you can get Eren to talk.” 

“It would be my honour!” She declared. 

The three stood up again and started moving boxes back into the house, Eren had been in the kitchen putting the boxes out of the way and then saw the three placing more in the hallway. He silently started to organise them into their room as they brought more in. They were finished at four o’clock, which was when Carla told Eren she was going shopping with Levi and Isabel would be staying to help him unpack. He just nodded and waved her away when she asked if they would be okay. Soon the women was leaving with their neighbour and Eren was stuck with a high schooler without a filter. 

“-And then Mrs pedal, that evil witch, said I was to blame when really it was Jen. So I get the detention right, I come home and Levi is all ‘well you shouldn’t be messing around in class anyway and you need to pay attention because you have exams’, like excuse me, but my exams are next year.” She huffed while finishing her story, Eren opened a new box that had their plates in. 

“Exams are important thoughts, Levi is right about that.” Eren hummed as he lifted a stack of plates to the fake marble top unit. It was black and their cupboards were dark green. 

“Ugh, not you too, I thought you were cool.” Isabel pouted while emptying out mugs from a box and onto the unit. “So what did you do for fun in school? What do you do for fun now?” 

Eren shrugged, “Danced.” He answered. “I’ve been doing ballet since I could walk.”

“Okay you’re cool again.” Isabels eyes shined. “Have you done nay performances?” 

“Yeah, a few, competitions here and there... can’t do that anymore though.” His voice got a little sad with his words before he shook it off and gave Isabel a small smile. “What do you like doing?” 

“Oh um... well Levi makes me go on morning runs before school, I like them because we always get to spend at least that part of the day together. I like going out with my friends too, swimming, um... I like to write plays.” Isabel looked a little shy at the last one. 

“That sounds interesting, I’d love to read one sometime.” Eren opened a new box of utensils and picked a draw to put them in. 

“Really? That would be awesome because Levi always just says their good and never gives me proper criticism on how to improve.” Isabel looked a whole new level of excited now. 

“Well I don’t know much about plays, but they can’t be that different from ballet.” Eren offered up. 

“You know, you should talk more, you’re actually really sweet.” Isabel said, shocking Eren into stopping for a moment before he continued. “I bet you don’t shut up around your friends, Levi says I never shut up. Do you have a lot friends? I have some but not loads.” 

“Oh... um, n-not really.” Eren gave her a small smile in reassurance when he saw her face drop at the thought of him not having any friends. “I’m not very good in that department, my sister is, she has loads of friends.” 

“Oh yeah, your mother said your sister lived with a bunch of her friends in a student house.” Isabel said. “Well, I can be your friend, see how easy it was.” 

Eren gave her a genuine smile then, the fifteen year old without a filter actually gave him a reason to smile. “Yeah, that would be nice, thank you.” 

“You’re welcome! I best steal you before Levi has a chance to invite you to a boring adults dinner where they only talk about work.” Isabel snorted. Eren didn’t think Levi would ever invite him to anything, but still it made him giggle and Isabels eyes shined with the sound. She was so happy she’d made him not only smile, but laugh too. Isabel didn’t stop talking the whole time they were unpacking. 

Eventually his mother and Levi returned. Eren helped her move the bags into the kitchen from Levi’s boot. The kitchen had been cleaned out yesterday and grey fridge freezer was already in there ready for food. The kitchen was really the only room they didn’t want to fully redecorate. They just wanted fresh paint and new flooring which would be easy enough. Everywhere else would be completely redone. Their neighbours helped put the stuff away and even started to help unbox everything. 

When seven o’clock rolled around Eren agreed to cook for everybody. He was a really good cook, his mother loved his food too and never understood how he gained the skill because she and Grisha had been useless cooks. Isabel claimed Levi was an awful cook too, which lead to Eren telling them they were welcome to dinner whenever he was cooking. He didn’t know why, but it made his mother and Isabel very happy, even Levi looked grateful at the offer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Mentions of self harm in this chapter, if that stuff triggers you this probably isn’t the right fanfiction for you I’m afraid, please stay safe! 
> 
> Levi is a bit more of the sassy one towards the end of this, but I swear he is still the wonderfully angry and distant character we all know and love. He just doesn’t act like that with Eren (or Isabel obvs) one guess as to why? ;) <3
> 
> Sorry for any spelling and Grammar mistakes. It’s five in the morning but I wanted to get chapter two out seeing as some people have already read chapter one. Also I explained in my previous chapter notes as to why it can be hard to find mistakes and fix them :33

“It’s your twentieth Eren, we can’t just do nothing.” His mother complained while they were looking for paints. 

“You know I hate my birthday anyway, why don’t we just order takeaway and watch bad horrors?” He offered. “Besides, I have no one to invite to a party anyway.”

He made a good point there. “Alright, bad food and horror films, but I’m still getting you a cake.” 

“Starting to the think the cake is more for you.” Eren smirked at his mother who just whacked him on the arm with a packet of paintbrushes. 

The two got in line to go pay after picking up everything they needed. They were finally decorating the rest of the house now all their basic furniture had arrived. They started to load their two baskets onto the conveyer and patiently waited for the couple in front to finish up their shopping before the cashier could start on their own. 

“Want me to call a taxi now?” Eren asked his mother who was putting anything that would fit into their reusable bag. 

“No need dear, Levi offered us a lift home, he’s coming from work.” She smiled. 

Eren frowned at that. Levi had been in their house a lot lately, and it wasn’t like he hated the guy, he just found it strange. He didn’t know if he was trying to help them or if he pitied them too much. Knowing his mother she had probably already spilt all their secrets to him, meaning Eren wasn’t all that comfortable being near him. He hated people knowing his business, even more so when they gave him saddened looks and always asked if he needed help. Levi didn’t ask out of pity though, that was clear. He just had this need to please people. A hero complex if you will. Still, he could bugger off from time to time at least. 

They paid for their things and as they walked out Carla’s phone rung. She answered it and Levi told her where he was. They spotted him almost immediately and started walking over. He opened up the boot and took the bags off Carla to put them in. Eren put in the four paints cans he had been carrying too. Carla got in the front and Eren slipped into the bag, though before they started driving the raven was turning around and handing Eren a large to-go cup. 

“Um...” Eren stared at the cup and cautiously accepted it. “Wh-what is it?” He asked. 

“Caramel green tea, I noticed you had a bit of a sweet tooth.” Levi shrugged as though it was nothing and started the car. 

“Th-thank you, you didn’t have to.” Eren whispered. 

“I own the tea shop, so it’s not like I actually had to pay for it.” Levi chuckled. 

Eren didn’t know that. He turned the cup around and looked at the logo, ‘Scouts tea shop and cafe’ was written in a circle around a pair of blue wings being overlapped by white ones. It was a strange name for a tea shop, and an even stranger logo. He supposed it was memorable though, ‘let’s go to the tea shop with the weird logo’ kind of memorable, like watching adverts that had nothing to do with their company kind of thing. Eren wondered if Levi was going for that, or if he was just unaware of the weird marketing. 

Eren couldn’t deny that it was some good tea. It tasted slightly bitter and sweet all at the same time, hints of honey too and the caramel taste melted on his tongue. It was damn good tea, the best bed ever had and certainly better than the boxed stuff he bought from the shops. Eren had a tea collection on one self in their kitchen, a shameful sense of pride filled him whenever he got to show it to someone. It wasn’t often, but sometimes his mother would have a guest and he’d offer herbal tea and get to list his collection off to them. 

They reached home and Isabel was sitting on their porch, gently swinging on the new porch swing Carla had bought two days ago. She hadn’t wasted time there. Her and Levi were already making plans for gardening, apparently Levi loved gardening just as much as Eren’s mother did. Levi pulled into his own drive and they walked over to the Jaeger home. Isabel jumped up when they saw them, and to Eren’s surprise she greeted him first. 

“How was school trouble?” Levi asked his sister and ruffled her hair with his free hand. 

“Good, I failed my history test though.” She pouted. 

“Issy, I told you to revise.” Levi sounded disappointed rather than angry, Eren could tell Isabel would rather he be angry at her. 

“I did, it’s hard. We have to write in a certain structure and it just makes everything more confusing.” She pouted. 

“Eren got an A star in his A-level history exam, maybe he could help you?” Carla offered. 

Yeah maybe he could help... Eren had to resist rolling his eyes at his mother for that. She just likes throwing him under the bus at any given chance. Apparently make new friends also meant hanging out with the high schooler who is the only person who thinks he’s interesting enough to be around. Eren wouldn’t say no though. Isabel clearly needed help, and for some reason he had a little voice in his head that pushed him into helping anyone in need. He hated that voice. Maybe he had a hero complex too? 

“Really Eren? It would be a huge help!” Isabels eyes shined and damn it Eren couldn’t say no. 

“Of course, just um, let me know when you’re free.” Eren shrugged, it wasn’t like he had a job at the moment anyway. He wasn’t allowed to work yet because of his eye, he still had to wait and then after that it would be hard to find a place who’d take on a half blind, very clumsy, and little experienced person. He’d worked as an after school tutor since he was sixteen because Eren was admittedly very smart, although most didn’t see it, then on top of that he had done some work in a small shop that only really sold to tourists and old people. 

“Eren used to tutor the younger years in school, all of those who went to him got higher grads then expected. The teachers said all of his English, history, German, and math students passed with A’s and A stars in their end of year exams.” Carla smiled brightly as the four walked into the house and towards their kitchen. 

“Smart kid.” Levi commented. “You speak German?” He asked Eren. 

Eren nodded and it was his mother who answered. “He speaks German, French, Italian and he’s learning Russian now. All he ever does is read and study. Not happy unless he’s learning something.” 

“Yeah, don’t brag about that.” Eren muttered as he looked through the cupboards for something to make for dinner. 

“Why not? It’s an amazing achievement, you should brag more.” His mother pouted at him. 

“I only learn because I have literally nothing else to do, it’s sad.” Eren huffed. “Can’t even read without getting a headache these days anyway so there goes another thing I love, down the drain.” 

He stopped looking in the cupboards, going quiet and then leaving the kitchen, telling his mother he wasn’t hungry and to not disturb him. He hadn’t shouted, he’d not raised his voice. Levi had actually never heard Eren speak louder than a mumble. He looked like he could do with a good scream to get it out of his system. Their neighbours had never seen Eren talk badly to his mother either. Technically he hadn’t spoke badly to her, he’d more just spoken badly about himself out loud. 

Carla was the first to recover, wanting to put on a good face for her guests as she picked up where Eren left off and searched for dinner. The Ackerman’s had previously planned to stay for dinner. They were helping to decorate tomorrow so Carla fed them as a way of thanking them. 

“Sorry, he’s just having a bad day.” Carla smiled cheerily. “His friend Armin hasn’t been too good to him lately. He’s Eren’s only friend, so it’s a little disheartening to see.”

“Don’t worry about it, we can leave-“ Levi started. 

“Oh don’t be silly, I can cook just fine and if I burn it we can order pizza.” She hummed happily and looked around for a pan to cook in. 

“Eren told me he used to do ballet, but apparently he’s not allowed anymore.” Isabel said. 

“Oh, yes. Well technically he is allowed to dance, but is academy kicked him out after the incident. Eren got in through a scholarship after they watched one of his competitions. He did that and his A-levels then they extended it for university level. Not many dance teachers want students with disabilities.” Carla explained with a sad smile on her lips as she turned the hob on. “He always wanted to be a professional dancer and when his professional career came to an end he was going to open his own school.” 

“That kid is full of surprises.” Levi hummed. “It’s unfair though, him getting kicked out like that.” 

“He was their top student as well.” Carla replied. 

“Levi isn’t your friend a dance teacher? That sort ginger one who used to have a crush on you.” Isabel said. “Couldn’t she help?” 

“Who Petra? I don’t know what kind of dance she does, I guess I could ask.” He shrugged. Levi looked to Carla then as if asking for permission.

“I’d run it by Eren first dear, but I don’t see why not.” She answered with. 

Levi took that as permission to go find Eren. He knew his way around the house, it matched his own well enough. He only knew which room Eren’s was because he’d helped the brunet carry a bed up into it when they had arrived. He’d been home alone at the time and Levi had watched him carrying a really heavy box to his porch steps, not being able to see the left side properly he hit into the banister, so Levi had gone over to help, saying how the box looked heavy and not even mentioning the fact he’d seen Eren struggle with his lack of sight in his left eye. He walked up the newly carpeted light brown stairs and down to the end of the hall where Eren’s room was. 

He knocked first of course, but didn’t get an answer. Then he knocked again and heard what sounded like someone tripping over and Eren swearing under his breath. He rushed to opened his door, Levi watched him pull down the sleeve of his white long sleeved top as he did. Eren’s room still looked like he was still moving in. Boxes on the floor and his bed only had a thin fleece blanket on it without pillows, his mattress also had the plastic covering on it. 

“Yeah?” Eren asked when Levi didn’t saying anything. 

“Oh, um sorry.” Levi corrected himself quickly. “Isabel told me a few days ago that you did ballet, and I was going to ask my friend if she’d take you on as a student or point you in the right direction, but your mother told me to run it by you first. So I’m running it by you.” He was only half lying. 

“You were talking about me downstairs weren’t you.” Eren deadpanned, he didn’t look angry, actually he looked pretty calm about it. Like he knew people spoke about him behind his back, so what was the point in caring? 

“Sort of, sorry. But the part about me having a dancer friend is true.” Levi said. “Do you think you’d like to go?” 

“I-I... I can’t dance anymore.” Eren shrugged a little. 

“Your body works fine, and Petra doesn’t care about minor set backs. If you can dance she will take you on.” His friend had a deaf student once so he didn’t see how a half blind student would be any different. 

“And if she doesn’t?” Eren raised an eyebrow. 

“You won’t know until you try.” The raven gave back. “She’s a phone call away and I have a full battery.” 

“Why would you do this anyway? Sure you and my mother are pretty close, actually weirdly close, but this is the longest conversation we’ve had and you’ve been here everyday for over a week.” Eren pointed out. Seriously this guy just couldn’t accept a good thing when it came along could he? 

“I like to please people, humour me.” Levi replied with easily. 

Eren watched him, seemed like he was studying him for a good long while. Levi didn’t back down from it though. He stared right back at Eren and took the chance to look over him. The sleeve of his top came up where he was holding the door, then Levi trailed the sleeve further and realised there was a patch of red on the sleeve. He was bleeding. One guess as to why as well. Still it worried Levi, after the first time he’d seen Eren he had constantly tried to keep an eye on anything that would give away that his habits caused an issue. He wondered if Carla new about what Eren did? Surely she had to. 

“You’re bleeding.” Levi stepped forward, about to reach out and take Eren’s arm in his own, but the brunet stepped back.

“I asked not to be disturb.” Eren mumbled. He started to look away then. 

Apparently the whole ‘no touching’ left Levi’s mind. He placed a gentle hand over Eren’s makeup covered cheek, his thumb just edging on where the bandages stopped on his face, his fingers going across his cheek and to his temple. Eren’s heart skipped a beat and he wondered if Levi felt it too. The raven didn’t show it as he gently pulled Eren’s face to look at his own. Eren knew Levi’s soul mark was on his right palm. He remembered thinking about his unfortunate that was with the amount of people he probably accidentally touched or shook hands with on a day to day basis. 

“Let me help, I won’t say anything to your mother if you let me help.” Levi’s voice went softer than Eren had ever heard it. He found himself nodding. Levi’s hand was perfectly inline with his soul mark, and Eren wasn’t an idiot. He felt the wave of warmth that filled him, how his whole mind went lax and body just went along with what Levi was saying. His heart raced and hands became sweaty. Levi didn’t slap him, he’d gently caressed his cheek to get Eren to look at him while he offered his help. But if he didn’t slap him, then maybe it was just a coincidence? 

Eren let Levi into his room. He closed the door and found himself missing Levi’s touch. They sat on Eren’s bed as the raven cleaned Eren’s cuts on his forearm he had placed there just a few minutes ago. He then placed wound pads over them and suggested Eren change his top. He did so, not caring if Levi was in the room. He knew he had at least a nice body with all his muscle from ballet. He was confident enough to take his top off in front of other guys. So why was he suddenly nervous now it was off, Levi was able to see him. He shivered and quickly shoved a grey hoodie on. 

“Eren? Where is your soul mark?” Levi must have felt it too, otherwise why would he be asking? 

“Excuse me?” Eren couldn’t help but say as he turned to face a shocked looking Levi. 

“Never mind, that’s a rude question, sorry.” The raven shook his head. “You know you live here now, you should unpack.” He changed the topic with. 

“O-oh well um... most is clothes and I keep forgetting to buy hangers.” Eren blushed. 

“And apparently bedding too.” Levi stood and stretched his arms back, his back clicking as he sighed. “Want me to go shopping with you? I’m off on Friday.” 

“No, it’s fine.” Eren was quick to say. “Honestly I just don’t see the point.” 

“In bedding? Maybe because it’s cold as balls out there.” Levi offered. 

Eren shrugged. “I like the cold.” He hummed with ease. “Besides, it’s not like this place has to be presentable for anyone.” 

“Well I’m in your room aren’t I?” Levi challenged with a small smirk. 

Eren rolled his eyes with a small smile. Success. Levi had made him smile. “You don’t count, you’re our neighbour.” 

“And your friend, what if I stay over and need to borrow a quilt?” Levi watched Eren’s eyes go wide when he said the word friend. He’d been told how Eren never thought anyone liked him because he’d never had proper friends before. Levi didn’t really realise how true that was until now. Still Eren managed to straighten his expression out to answer. 

“Then you can send your ass home since you live five steps away.” Eren folded his arms. 

“How cruel.” Levi hummed with a small wink. 

“Wow who knew you could be annoying?” Eren huffed. 

“Now you know where Isabel learns it.” Levi gave back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha... remember a time when we could still shop without restrictions or you know, actually go into other peoples houses??? Lockdown pt2 be hitting different :/// 
> 
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the beta Mortal_Wonderland <3
> 
> Hope you all enjoy this chapter!

“Wake up lazy bones, it’s your birthday!” Carla shook Eren awake. He groaned, it was too early on a Thursday to get up, especially because he didn’t have a job. Eren slapped his mother away by waving his arms about, causing her to laugh and mention something about breakfast being ready. That’s when Eren realised he could smell pancakes coming from downstairs. That woke Eren up. 

He looked in the bathroom mirror after showering and shoved his wet hair into a bun. Then he cleaned his eye out again and bandaged that up, finishing it up with tape. Eren brushed his teeth and dressed in a blue pair of jeans, fluffy bed socks and a white top with a brown fluffy jacket over it that had bear ears and a little bear tail at the back. Eren skipped makeup for today, it was only him and his mother, maybe his sister if she decided to to make herself known. They all knew about the mark. 

Deciding he was presentable enough for breakfast Eren went downstairs. He happily walked through the kitchen and completely missed the two at their small four person table while going to his mother who gave him a hug. She placed a hand over his mark and smiled gently. 

“So handsome.” She hummed. Carla passed a plate to Eren and told him to go sit down since she’d be there in a minute. 

That’s when Eren noticed they had guests. Levi and Isabel were sitting at the table. Levi’s eyes widened as he looked at Eren’s soul mark, realisation clearly hitting him like a truck. Eren just hoped he wouldn’t say anything. He sat down next to Isabel who gave a low whistle. 

“Where did this come from? Have you been hiding your mark?” She touched Eren’s cheek and giggled. “It’s cute, it looks like someone is holding your cheek.” 

That was the first time anyone had ever told Eren it looked like someone was caressing his cheek rather than slapping it. He gave a small smile and silently thanked her for the words. His heart felt warm, someone had held his cheek. He wanted to feel it again too. Eren’s little moment was interrupted by his mother who brought over a plate of pancakes. Eren waited for everyone to get theirs before he took the last two. 

“Isabel and Levi wanted to come over before they needed to leave for work and school.” Carla said after swallowing a bite of her pancake. 

“I can see.” Eren hummed, not really eating and just cutting up his food. Suddenly he wasn’t all that hungry when he knew Levi was watching him. 

“It’s so nice to see you not covering your mark Eren.” Carla continued. 

“I was going to do it after breakfast.” Eren lied. 

“Why?” It was Levi who asked now. 

Eren looked to him as though he couldn’t believe he was even asking him something like that. Carla sighed and tutted before answering. “Eren is under the impression that it’s a slap.” 

“Everyone who sees it thinks the same.” Eren pouted. “Isabels is the first to tell me otherwise.” 

“Really?” Levi asked. 

“I am?” Isabel said at the same time. “That’s like saying Levi’s mark is him slapping someone, you can’t assume.” 

“No, I guess not.” Eren mumbled. He gave a quick sneaky glance to Levi who was still watching him. 

“I’m actually impressed how well you hide it, that’s like one whole side of your face, it’s even over a part of your lip and chin, and even a little of your ear.” Isabel continued. “That’s clearly not a slap mark.” 

Eren nodded at her words and put food in his mouth so he didn’t have to answer. He was thankful when Levi changed the topic, clearly seeing Eren didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Once they were finished the table was cleared and Carla did the dishes while Eren saw their morning guests out. Isabel looked at the time on her phone and literally ran away saying something about being late as she called after a friend who lived a few doors down and had been waiting for her. Eren was left with Levi. 

The raven placed his hand over Eren’s mark and the brunet found him allowing the contact. He wanted to lean into it, but didn’t dare push his luck. Levi’s hand fit the mark perfectly. “Not a slap mark.” He whispered. “Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“Because I wouldn’t make a good soulmate.” Eren pulled his face out of Levi’s hold and looked down to the floor. “I’m sorry that it’s me.” 

“I’m not.” Levi smiled when Eren met his eyes again. “I’ll see you tonight.” 

“Tonight?” Eren asked before Levi could make it to the steps. 

“Your mother invited us over for horror films and food seeing as it’s your birthday.” Levi smirked when Eren rolled his eyes, clearly it had been a secret. “Happy birthday, Eren.” 

“See you, Levi.”   
•

•  
There was a knock at the door but before Eren could open it, Mikasa walked in with Armin and Jean trailing behind her. Eren had never really liked his birthdays before, but this one just got a whole lot worse with horse face walking in like he owned the place. Eren loved his sister, but she had awful taste in men and apparently so did her fate. 

His sister was wearing some black tights and a black skirt with a white shirt tucked into it and a black cardigan over it which went down to her knees. Jean was in some grey jeans and a white polo shirt. Armin wearing some light blue jeans with a white shirt that had blue stripes going vertically down the top. Carla wore a long sleeved light blue dress that reached past her knees and some black tights since it was still fairly cold. 

Mikasa hugged Eren and handed him a card with a wrapped up gift. He thanked her, opened the card first, reading the happy birthday message and placing it on the windowsill. They didn’t have a TV stand or a coffee table, just a sofa and some books to balance the TV on. Inside the wrapping paper was some folded up ballet practice clothes. Some black and white tights with a black long sleeved leotard and some black leg warmers. Eren hugged her again for them. 

Armin had given him a card and a voucher for some books since he didn’t know which ones Eren would have preferred. His mother had given him a card, but told Eren he would have to wait for his gift until later after dinner. He didn’t mind though, he’d told his mother not to get him anything anyway. They sat around and spoke some. 

“Oh Mama me and Jean have some news!” Mikasa sat up placing her hand in Jeans. Carla perked up and Eren immediately caught on to what was coming. “Jean and I are going to have a baby!” 

“Oh sweetheart that’s amazing!” Carla got up to hug her daughter. “How far along are you?” 

And suddenly Eren’s birthday was now about his sister’s foetus. So he’d never really liked his birthday, that didn’t mean his sister could suddenly make this about her and her dumb horse. He didn’t say anything though. Eren had never been able to celebrate his birthday before so why start now? She was due in October, apparently she was taking a gap year from uni which had already been approved way ahead of time. Eren just knew she’d be asking their mother to look after the baby and god forbid she asked Eren, he had no idea what to do with a baby, no way. He’d never thought about having kids and he wasn’t about to look after someone else’s. 

There was a knock at the front door and Eren went to open it. Isabel stood there in her school uniform that consisted of black tights, a black skirt, dolly shoes, a white shirt with a royal blue tie, a matching jumper and a black blazer. Both the jumper and blazer had her school’s logo on them. Eren let her in and led her to the living room. Carla greeted her with a hug, she was introduced to the people on their sofa and then she went to sit against the wall with Eren while Carla spoke more about the baby with her daughter and soon to be son in law. 

Isabel went through her backpack and then pulled out a yellow envelope. She gave that to Eren with a happy birthday wish. “My gift is a part of Levi’s so I can’t give it to you until he finishes work.” She apologised. 

“That’s okay, you didn’t have to do any of this.” Eren thanked her and opened the card that had a heartfelt message on it which covered the entire two sides of the card. Eren hugged her and displayed the card in the middle of the windowsill. “How was school?”

“It was okay I guess, had an argument with my friend though.” Isabel sighed.

“Really, what about?” Eren questioned, knowing Isabel wanted to talk about it. 

“It’s stupid, but her and two of my other friends went out on the weekend and didn’t invite me, they wouldn’t stop talking about it and bragging about how good it had been so I yelled at them. We got into a huge argument.” She explained the basics of the story with a small pout. 

“They don’t sound like very good friends, but you’re still young, so don’t worry about what some bitchy high schoolers say about you.” Eren nudged her with a small wink and Isabel giggled. 

“They are bitchy.” She agreed. 

“I have nothing to do this weekend, why don’t we go to town? You can drag me around all day and I won’t complain once.” Eren offered. 

“Really? Okay!” Isabel beamed happily. “Thank you, it will be awesome, and we can go get ice cream too.” 

“Sure.” Eren nodded. 

When five fifteen came around the door went again. It was only going to be Levi so Isabel went and answered it. He came in behind his sister in black jeans and a grey button up shirt with the top two buttons undone. Carla got up to hug him in greeting, something Levi still wasn’t used to if his shocked expression was anything to go by. He was introduced to the three on the sofa, but didn’t pay them any mind as he went over to Eren and sat down on his other side since Isabel was next to him as well. With Levi’s arrival Carla said she would start ordering them some food. 

“Happy birthday.” Levi handed Eren a card. He blushed and opened it. On the inside was a simple birthday message and a surprisingly good drawing of a hand next to Levi’s name. Eren blushed harder and decided not to put that one up. If his mother saw she’d immediately catch on. He hid the card behind himself and resisted the urge to nudge Levi when he laughed. 

“Thanks.” Eren whispered. “How was work?” 

“Slow,” Levi shrugged. “How was your day?” 

“The same.” Eren glances over to the three on the sofa and Levi nodded in understanding. “She told my mother she was pregnant, suddenly it’s turned into a baby shower.” 

“She couldn’t have waited?” Levi whispered back. 

“Apparently not.” Eren shrugged. 

“Oh Eren,” the brunet looked up to his sister who went through her bag and pulled out another card. “It’s from Dad, he said to tell you sorry for not making it.” 

Eren didn’t want to take the card, a horrible silence filled the space as he hesitated and finally took it. Mikasa smiled and Eren mumbled some form of thanks before standing up and leaving the front room. He went straight into the kitchen where his mother was adding everyone’s orders to the online basket. He put the card on the table next to her and she frowned at it in confusion before looking to Eren. 

“It’s from him.” He said. 

“Oh...” his mothers eyes went down to the laptop. “Won’t you open it?” 

“Why should I? He’s the reason I can’t see properly.” Eren hissed. 

“He’s still your father.” Carla tried. 

“Don’t give me that bullshit.” 

“Eren,” Carla gave him a stern look

Eren frowned at her, Carla keeping eye contact with her son until he backed down. He sat in the chair next to her and placed his head on his mother’s shoulder. “Sorry for swearing.” 

“I know.” Carla stroked through his now dry hair. “Do whatever you want with it.” 

Eren nodded and placed a kiss on his mother’s shoulder before taking the card and heading to the stairs. He went up and into his room, going to his cupboard and placing it on the top shelf with his cane. The only two items that were in the damn thing. He closed the doors and sighed, turning so his back was against the cupboard doors and tilted his head back so it was resting against the wood. 

The brunet grabbed his cigarettes and lighter from the top of a sealed box. He went back down the stairs and out the front door. It was raining heavily, but the porch kept him dry. Eren walked over to the swing and sat down on it. It was big enough for two adults, comfy with white seat cushions and a white canopy above it. It swung when Eren sat down on it, he fiddled with the cigarette, his packet next to him along with the lighter. Eren placed the slim stick between his lips and picked up the lighter, lighting the end and taking a drag before blowing it out again. For once, it felt good. 

Eren lifted the sleeve of his top and held his arm out. He stared at the still healing burns from his first night here. He contemplated just finishing the cigarette like normal, but the pull to feel the stinging burn was too tempting. He took the stick from his mouth and brought it to his wrist. Just about to feel the burn and already able to feel the heat when he was stopped by a voice. 

“You know that’s not what those things are for.” Eren jumped and looked to Levi who was leaving the house. He shut the door and walked over to Eren. 

“Caught red handed, huh.” Eren sat back and put the cigarette between his lips again, pulling his sleeve down as he offered the packet out to Levi. He took one and then took Eren’s lighter to light his own, sitting down with the brunet on the swing. 

“So, you don’t get along with your father then.” It wasn’t a question but an observation. 

“What can I say, I’m a mama’s boy.” Eren chuckled as he brought in another drag. “These are fucking disgusting.” 

“Yeah, you’ve bought a shit brand.” Levi blew his own smoke out. 

“Didn’t know you smoked.” Eren said. 

“Didn’t know you knew how to.” Levi hummed. “I saw you, that first night. I’m up most of the night and something interesting caught my attention.” 

“Glad my self harm tendencies could entertain you.” Eren replied dryly. 

“They don’t.” Levi said. “You shouldn’t do it.” 

“Ugh, don’t give me the speech.” Eren whined. 

“Speech?” Levi hummed. 

“The whole, you’re life is worth living, don’t self harm it gets better.” Eren said in a mocking voice. “It’s bullshit.” 

“Maybe so.” Levi placed the cigarette in his mouth and rolled up his jacket sleeve to reveal healed over cuts and burn marks. “I think I might know what I’m talking about though.” 

“No wonder we’re soulmates.” Eren rolled his eyes. 

“You know most are excited to meet their soulmate, and you hid it from me.” 

“You don’t seem all that thrilled either. Seriously, I’m not worth the effort if you’re thinking of asking me on a date or whatever.” Eren finished his cigarette, but he didn’t make a move to leave. Levi was still working on his own as he studied Eren, not saying a word while he thought about how he could tell Eren he really thought he was wrong on the whole not worth it issue, without sounding like a broken self help record. 

“Maybe I was waiting for you to ask me?” Levi decided to go with. “I’m shit with showing emotions, and no offence brat, but you wear yours like a damn outfit. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t happy about it. Do you know how frustrating it is to have a perfect hand mark as a soul mark? For all I know a good cup of tea could have been my soulmate.” 

Eren snorted at that. “Guess you’re better than some abusive shit.” 

“Oh silver linings and all.” Levi teased. 

“So what do you want to do about it?” Eren lent forward to put his head in his hands and rest his elbows on his legs. He looked at Levi who had just finished his own cigarette. 

“Well I’m not jumping right into bed if that’s what you mean. Just... I don’t know, get to know each other at least and see where it goes?” He offered up. 

“And here I was thinking I might get lucky on my birthday.” Eren fake pouted. 

“It’s only six o’clock.” Levi winked, Eren blushed hard and followed the raven with his eyes as he stood up and stretched. He held his hand out for Eren who allowed the man to pull him up too. They deposited their cigarette ends into a plant pot that had other ends in there. Eren emptied it out every so often so it wasn’t full.

They both went back inside and toed off their shoes before heading further into the living room. They went and sat back next to Isabel who was playing a game on her phone. She smiled at them, happy to see their return. Eren’s mother was now sat on the sofa squeezed between Armin and Mikasa while she spoke to the latter. Armin just looked really awkward, like he’d been forced there. He and Eren hadn’t spoken since he’d last seen him at the hospital. 

“Ugh Eren, do you have to smoke? You stink.” Mikasa scrunched her nose. 

“It was me who smoked.” Levi looked at her with a monotone expression on his face. 

“Well um...” Mikasa looked a little taken back. “Buy body spray or something.” She went with. 

“Mika be nice to our guests, Levi has been such a huge help.” Carla gushed. 

“Yeah, he’s pretty close with my brother too, seen each other’s beds have you?” She scolded. 

“That’s rich coming from someone who’s pregnant.” Eren rolled his eyes. 

“Jean is my soulmate, just because you won’t let anyone touch you to find yours.” Mikasa frowned. Levi had been thinking about that, feeling as though there was something behind it. 

“Mikasa! That’s enough, Eren is your brother, you will be nice to him.” Carla told her off when she went over the line. Definitely something behind it. 

“He started it.” Mikasa claimed. 

“And I’m ending it.” Carla said sternly. 

“Jesus no wonder Dad didn’t want to come.” Mikasa muttered. 

“Mikasa!” Eren yelled at her. Levi and Isabel jumped at the volume in which his voice came out at. They’d never heard him raise his voice before. “You’re an oblivious fucking child you know that?” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mikasa looked completely and utterly offended. 

“Eren you can’t just talk to your sister like that.” Jean tried to defend his girlfriend. 

“Shut it horse breath, it’s bad enough you're banging my sister without you sticking your nose into our business.” Eren said in a tone that sounded akin to a growl. 

“Dad was nothing but good to us, even now he worries and asks if I’ve been seeing you and he asks if we ever talk about him. Clearly he’s the victim, you just broke our parents up!” Mikasa yelled. 

“He stabbed me in the fucking eye, Mikasa!” The whole room went quiet. Eren realised what he’d said and regret filled him in an instant. 

“How could you accuse him of that?” Mikasa hissed. 

“Eren...?” Carla looked to her son who had his head bent as his shoulders shook. 

Eren stood up and headed to the living room door without a word, he left the room and opened the front door, stepping into the evening air. It was still raining. 

•  
LEVI  
•

The front door slammed closed and everyone went silent. Isabel looked like she was about to cry and Levi was glaring daggers into Mikasa and Jean. Carla had started to cry while Armin just wanted to leave. The couple on the sofa looked pissed off. Levi stood up, feeling bad about not comforting Carla, but then again, Eren was his soul mate. He pulled his sister up too and took her to the front door. They got their shoes and coats on and left without a word, not even to each other. 

The raven turned to his sister, he wiped her tears and then brought her in for a hug as she cried harder. Sister first, then Eren, Levi thought to himself. He led her to their own porch and sat her down at the table and two chairs they had out there. She sunk into the cool metal and wiped the rest of her tears away. Levi gave her his house keys, she had her own, but at least this way she didn’t have to struggle looking through her bag for them. Just before Levi could leave after giving her a kiss on the head, she tugged on his wrist. 

“Are you Eren’s soulmate?” She whispered, wiping her tears and looking up at her brother. 

“I-“ Levi nodded. “You can’t tell Carla though, okay? It has to stay our secret because Eren isn’t ready for it.” 

“Doesn’t that upset you though? That he’s not ready even though he’s your soulmate?” She looked hurt by the idea. 

Levi offered a reassuring smile and shook his head. “No, because I know he will be ready one day. Even if it takes years. You can’t push people into these things, and Eren is... he’s delicate right now.” 

“Okay.” Isabel nodded. “I think Eren deserves to be happy, and I know you’d make him happy, I just don’t understand why he doesn’t want to.” 

“Some people are scared to let themselves be happy. Like how I was when we first moved and I got the cafe. Remember I kept expecting the worst to happen, I hurt myself, and sometimes I couldn’t even get out of bed. It’s like that, Eren’s in that place right now. We can help him, but first I have to go find him.” Levi told his sister. “Why don’t you wait inside? I’m sure Eren will want a hug when he sees you.” 

“I want to wait here, please?” Levi looked around the street. He knew nothing would happen, but he still couldn’t help worrying. 

“Okay, call me if you need anything.” Levi planted another kiss to Isabel's head. They said goodbye and Levi left in his car to go find Eren. 

He wasn’t sure which way Eren would have gone. He hardly ever left the house unless it was to go shopping, the brunet didn’t know his way around town. Levi acted purely on gut instinct when he turned right, Eren seemed like a right side kind of guy. Whatever that meant. He also knew Eren couldn’t have gone far, it had been less than ten minutes, so unless he ran the entire time he probably didn’t make it even a little past the closest corner shop. Levi decided that he’d go a little past the shop if he didn’t find Eren on his way, and then he would turn back and do a full circle so he’d get back to their street coming from the left. 

Gut instinct wins, Levi spotted the very man he was looking for with his hands shoved in his pockets, soaked to the bone as he walked with his head down. Thankfully he was walking, Levi didn’t feel like speeding up in this rain and jeopardising his already poor visibility. He drove a little past Eren and got out the car, he was already wet just from the walk from Eren’s house to his own. The brunet looked shocked seeing Levi. His eyes widened and he looked ready to run the other way, thankfully he didn’t. Not like Levi wouldn’t catch up to him in his car, it just would have been a lot of effort. 

“You’re soaked, come on, get in.” Levi nodded to his car. 

“You’re going to take me back home.” Eren’s voice broke, Levi realised then that he was still crying. It was hard to see with the rain also hitting his face. 

“You can hide out at mine for as long as you please, so long as you get in now and save us both a cold.” Levi said. Eren seemed to be weighing his options before he nodded and got in Levi’s passenger side. The raven got in the drivers side and had to remind himself the seats could be cleaned and dried. A little water wouldn’t hurt. 

Eren put the visor down and opened the mirror up, he started to peal off the wet bandages and then realised that his eye would be on show. He turned to Levi who had just started up the engine. “Y-you don’t mind do you? I’d rather it not get infected.” He said. 

“Go ahead.” Levi replied. He didn’t start driving and instead turned the heating up. He didn’t want to risk Eren moving and hurting himself somehow. 

The bandage was slowly unraveled and Levi had to stop himself from hissing at the look of his injury. All around his eye was red and purple still, looking sore and very tender. It was still a little swollen in places too. Then there was his actual eye which was now clouded over and glassy, a visible scar in the centre of his eyeball that had formed. At least the doctors had been able to save the eye itself. The stab mustn’t have been that deep, still that kind of trauma was bound to make anyone lose their sight. He half wondered what Eren’s father was even doing threatening his son with a knife anyway, let alone using it. 

“Does it hurt?” Levi found himself asking. 

Eren didn’t seem bothered by the question though. “A little, I’m hopped up on pain medication all day though so I don’t feel it much.” He replied. “It sort of itches, but there’s a no touching rule.” 

“How long will it be until you can leave the bandages off?” Levi questioned. 

“Another week of these, by then the outside of my eye would have gone down and I can use adhesive pads. Probably a month or two of those and I’ll be okay if I just clean it in the morning and at night for another six months.” Eren explained. 

“What a drag.” Levi huffed. 

“And expensive.” Eren muttered. “I know you want to ask about my father, you can.” 

Levi felt a little weird being called out so easily. “Just... why did he do that in the first place?” 

“Technically it was an accident.” Eren sat back and looked straight out at the rain. “He used to abuse the shit out of me and my Mama, never laid a finger on Mika though. He sort of lost it one night after a phone call, we don’t even know why or what happened, but next thing you know he’s pulled a knife out on my Mama. I got in the way though. Mama said I screamed so loud that Grisha didn’t manage to get it very far in. Apparently I went in with the thing still in my eye, I don’t remember anything though. I passed out and woke up four days later.” 

“Fuck... your father is a bastard.” Levi sighed. “Sorry that happened to you both. Didn’t you press charges?” 

“My father can sweet talk his way out of anything.” Eren looked to Levi for only a second. “He offered us a very large amount of money and his word that he’d never try to look for us if we kept it quiet. My mother wanted to fight my case, but honestly I was just too tired. It’s fucking exhausting having two parents who haven’t stopped arguing your whole life. It was either go through months of court and still have to see his face, or get away now. I took the money, gave it to my mother and told her to buy a house somewhere far away from him.”

“You know you probably could have sued him for a lot more.” Levi pointed out. 

“Yeah, but it wasn’t about the money, it was about getting away. I only took it because I didn’t have enough for us to leave with. The least he could do was buy us a fucking house.” Eren sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “If Mikasa tells him what I said we’re in deep shit, just can’t keep my damn mouth shut.” 

“She’s your sister, just explain it to her.” Levi offered.

“No,” Eren shook his head. “You don’t know Mikasa like I do. She can’t keep a secret from our father, it’s like word vomit or some shit, it just comes out even if she doesn’t want it to.” 

“Eren the guy has already taken your sight, seriously what else could he do? If he goes near you he gets in trouble for it. He’s not going to risk that even if Mikasa knows.” Levi tried to reassure him. 

“Maybe.” Eren continued to pinch his nose. “Can we maybe go home, my eye feels like it’s burning, I need to clean it.” 

“Shit yeah, sorry.” Levi started his car properly and turned it around. 

The drive back was silent, but not uncomfortable. Levi pulled up into his drive and noticed Isabel wasn’t there. He took his phone out to call her and saw she had text to say she was with Carla because the others left. Levi told Eren and they both got out together to go back to the Jaeger home.

•  
EREN  
•

Eren went in first and was immediately brought into a hug by his mother and then by Isabel. He felt bad for having to quickly push Isabel away, but his eye was in so much pain thanks to the soaked bandages. And yes it was mostly his fault for that, but still he silently blamed Mikasa for getting him angry. 

“I need to go sort this out.” Eren mumbled. 

“Need help?” Levi offered. Eren didn’t, but he wouldn’t mind the company. He agreed and Levi followed him upstairs, leaving Isabel and Carla to look at each other. 

“I don’t actually need help.” Eren said as they went into his room to find the first laid kit. 

“I know, I was asking if I could come up.” Levi said. 

“Glad we’re on the same page.” Eren chuckled. 

He picked up his bag and went to the bathroom with Levi following. The bathroom only needed painting now. It had black tiles and a white bath mat next to the bath and shower combination. Levi sat on the edge of the tub while Eren searched the bag for all he needed and got to work. The cream did wonders for the pain, almost instantly he felt it settling. He couldn’t help but let out a small sigh, and he heard Levi chuckle from behind him. 

He finished everything off with a bandage and threw all his one use items away and the soaked bandage too. He felt so much better. The hospital had told him if the pain was too much he could wrap an ice pack in some tea towels so the bandages didn’t get wet and placed it just above or just below his eye, but not directly on it. Eren planned to do just that as he walked downstairs and inside the kitchen. Levi was with him and helped Eren get what he needed. He rinsed the ice pack of frost before drying it with one towel and wrapping it in another to further make sure the bandages wouldn’t get wet. 

“Dinner’s arrived and there’s too much so eat up.” Carla said once the two had turned around. “How’s your eye?” She asked Eren. 

“Better now.” He nodded. 

“About before-“ Carla started before Eren cut her off. 

“It’s fine, let’s just leave it. I spoke with Levi, so it’s okay.” Carla looked shocked and then nodded. 

The three joined Isabel at the table. They opened up the food containers, Eren’s being done mostly for him since he was holding the ice pack. Levi sat next to him and silently helped, the two knew they were being watched by Carla, but quite frankly didn’t care right now. The raven passed Eren his chopsticks that came with the Chinese food. He went to go and pick up some chicken from his plate, but just about missed. Eren sighed as he tried again. 

“So what films are we watching tonight?” Isabel asked while munching on her own food. 

“There’s a new horror film that’s a part of a trilogy, we thought we could watch the first two and then the new one.” Carla said. 

“Sounds good, me and Isabel love a good horror.” Levi said. He turned to Eren who missed a piece of food again and couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Do you need to be fed?” 

“Do you need a kick?” Eren gave back. “I’m fine, thanks.” 

Levi just shrugged with a small smile. “Seems like someone doesn’t want his birthday present.” 

“Please tell me you got me a new eyeball!” Eren faked his excitement. 

“Eren, don’t joke about that.” Carla scolded while the other three laughed. 

“Dark humour heals the pain, Mama.” Eren teased. 

“Well it wasn’t a new eye.” Levi said. “But it’s just as good.” 

“If you got me a dog I’m throwing it at you.” Eren frowned. 

“You don’t like dogs?” Isabel gasped. 

“Oh I love them, I just don’t want one of the guide ones.” Eren shrugged. 

“It has nothing to do with eyes, vision, or dogs.” Levi rolled his eyes. 

“Seriously Eren, you’re joking about this now?” Carla shook her head. 

“Come on Mama, it was like a month ago, lighten up.” Eren laughed. 

“Eren Jaeger I am going to take away the rest of your sight if you don’t stop.” Carla threatened without being serious about it. 

Eren raised his hand with the chopsticks in surrender. “Okay, I’m sorry. No more sight jokes, I can’t see it ending well anyway.” 

Isabel snorted and laughed at the pun. Carla looked increasingly annoyed about it though and Levi wondered if he was about to witness another Jaeger wrath. 

“Eren stop!” Carla looked hurt. “It’s bad enough that this happened, you don’t need to treat it so lightly. You have no idea how much I wish I could go back and stop it, this happened because of me and I’m sorry, but you shouldn’t joke about it like that.” 

Eren looked to Carla now who had her head in her hands as she cried. Eren placed the chopsticks and the ice pack down to go around the table and hug his mother. She accepted the hug and pulled him in tightly while Eren rubbed her back gently and started to mutter in German to her. Eren parted from the hug but still had his hands on Carla’s upper arms. He used one hand to wipe at her tears while still speaking in German before he switched back to English. 

“Mama I don’t blame you for it, this didn’t have anything to do with you. None of it did. If it was another time maybe it wouldn’t have been my eye and he’d have got me somewhere else, somewhere more fatal. I’m the one who got in the way and didn’t have time to react, and he’s the one who had the knife, but you’re the one who’s looked after me, stayed with me, and helped. You’ve bared through all my frustrations and still try to cheer me up on my bad days without a single negative word to me. This isn’t on you okay? No more jokes, I promise.” Eren wiped another tear from her cheek then. 

“You’re such a good boy, Eren.” Carla whispered. 

“I learnt from the best.” Eren let go of his mother and stood up again. “I’m banning tears for the rest of the night, it’s my birthday and it’s the only thing I’m asking for. No more tears, we sit and eat and then go watch bad horror films until we pass out from exhaustion.” 

“Good luck, Levi doesn’t fucking sleep.” Isabel mumbled. 

They all looked at her and laughed. Way to lighten the mood, pick on Levi. If it worked it worked. The four finished their meal and the dishes were left until later. They went into the living room and sat down on the sofa, four people squeezed onto one small sofa, Eren didn’t mind being so close to Levi though. Eren was at the end with the armrest while Isabel sat on Levi’s other side and Carla next to Isabel who was at the other end. Before they started the film Levi was handing Eren a slim envelope. 

“Your birthday present.” He said. Eren looked between Levi and the brown envelope. 

He opened it up and pulled out a piece of paper, it was an invoice. ‘Ral’s ballet school’ was written under a pair of cartoon pointe shoes. He read the letter over quickly, it was basically just explaining the kind of lessons the school offered until he reached the table part of the invoice. A year's worth of lessons had been paid for. He had them at half price and Eren figured it was because Levi was Petra’s friend. Then there was a comment box at the bottom. 

‘Happy Birthday to my newest student. I look forward to meeting you Eren. I hope you don’t mind but I’ve already been sent videos of your performances and I fell in love with every single one. 

Your private lessons are on Wednesday at 8pm, Thursday 8pm, and Friday 6am. Plus two group lessons you are free to attend without extra charge that are on Saturday at 9am and Monday at 10am. All this will be on the time table on the back too. Have a lovely day, I’ll see you for your first lesson next Thursday. 

Love,   
Petra Ral.’ 

“Holy shit.” Eren turned the paper over and sure enough was a time table of the times he would be attending with the school address and phone number below. “Holy shit.” 

“You like it?” Levi asked. 

“I-I love it.” Eren smiled and then turned to hug Levi. “Thank you so much.” He said to the man. 

“No problem.” Levi replied. 

Eren parted from him to hug Isabel and thank her too. He was going to get to dance in a school again. Maybe it wasn’t as big as being in an academy, but Eren didn’t care. He just wanted to dance, to learn, to have something he could throw himself fully into again and the Ackerman siblings had given him just that. When he was done staring at the letter he realised his mother had leant over and handed him a box covered in wrapping paper. He looked to her and took it, opening the paper carefully and finding a white shoe box. 

He opened it up and inside were a brand new pair of black ballet slippers. His eyes shined as he took one out to admire it closer. It was the really expensive brand too. He felt the soft leather on the outside and traced a finger to the bottom where the small bit of grip padding was. Carla told him to look inside the other slipper. Eren did so, a little confused and found a plastic gift card. He turned it over and audibly gasped. 

The card was for a ballet shop just outside of town, his mother had written on the card it was stuck to ‘for pointe shoes’. Eren loved his pointe shoes, although men generally didn’t wear or perform in them Eren had always wanted to learn every aspect of ballet, so he got his first pair of points when he was twelve after finally convincing his teacher to let him give them a go. He also joined the girls pointe ballet classes after that and enjoyed every moment of it. He’d been cast as a girl in one of the performances they put on because he danced pointe. 

“Mama thank you so much!” Eren exclaimed. “I’m going to dance on Pointe again, this is amazing.” He smiled 

“Men do that?” Levi asked Eren. 

“It’s not that common.” Eren shook his head. 

“Eren begged his instructor for three years to let him try pointe shoes after watching barbie and the nutcracker.” Carla giggled. 

“Which by the way is a banging film.” Eren added. 

“Eh, we preferred swan lake.” Levi shrugged as he gestured to Isabel


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the beta Mortal_Wonderland   
> (Btw I make soooo many dumb mistakes so you should be praising them so much)!!! 
> 
> “Breaking in” refers to having sex in a new house/car (places like that ya know) . I’ve heard it a lot of films and read it in books stuff, but it might not be clear. 
> 
> Also I know I change POV in this somewhere but it’s really hard to tell where I need to edit it to fix it so I left it, thank you Mortal_Wonderland for pointing it out to me though, I’ll get back and edit it when it’s not 2am and my brain is actually working XD
> 
> Enjoy this chapter <3

“Isabel told me you agreed to go shopping with her this weekend.” Levi said while he and Eren drove towards the main town centre. He parked his car in the staff parking lot as opposed to another one because he could park for free there. He and Eren got out of the car before Eren could reply. 

“Actually I asked her, she said her friends went without her last weekend, so I thought I’d treat her to some lunch and let her drag me around.” He shrugged. It was strange to think how the two had only known each other for two weeks, and yet they were this comfortable. They did see each other almost everyday though, and it was normal for soulmates to instantly click.

Eren had worn a pair of leggings with a baggy white jumper that had a tiny little frog above the right breast. He thought it was adorable, his mother thought it was childish. 

“It was kind of you, honestly the girls she hangs around are nasty little shits.” Levi locked his car and joined Eren. He had put on some black skinny jeans and a black top with a dark grey hoodie over it since it was still a little cold, but not so cold that they needed coats. He was taking Eren to get a few things for his room- like actual bedding. And then after they had done that he was taking Eren to get his pointe shoes so he had time to somewhat break them in before his lessons began. 

“Most teenagers are.” Eren said as they left the car park. 

“You were still a teenager on Tuesday.” Levi pointed out. 

“Yes, and my point still stands.” Eren dared Levi to challenge him on it with a single look. The raven didn’t and just agreed instead. 

They first headed towards a home shop, upon entering Levi told Eren to get a basket just in case he saw anything other than bedding that he liked. He had noticed how Eren had a weird thing where he didn’t seem to like to fill a space with things he liked. As though anything worth him enjoying should be kept locked away. Levi could understand a little. It had taken ages for him to get used to being able to have things he liked and show them off in his house. He thought maybe Eren went through a similar situation with his father. Everything had to be practical. 

They went first to the bedding and Eren picked up covers and pillows that Levi agreed to carry since Eren had a basket. They went to the sheets and Eren picked up dark green ones along with a mattress protector. When Eren tried to tell Levi they should go pay the raven declined, lying and saying he wanted to look around some more, then dragging Eren down a few other isles. He never complained and instead watched as Levi put some scented candles into the Basket. 

“Why do you need candles?” Eren frowned and tilted his head slightly to the side. 

Levi put back a candle he had been smelling and looked to Eren. Was he really that clueless about the whole decoration thing? Thankfully Carla wasn’t. “They smell good, and look nice. Just have to find a few colours that will match the living room and pick the best smelling ones. You should get some for your room.” 

“They’re not very practical.” Eren shook his head. 

“That doesn’t matter.” Levi picked up a candle and stood up properly. “Plus they are in some ways, they make your room smell nice.” 

“Are you trying to tell me I stink?” Eren pouted while Levi worked the lid off the candle jar and held it out for him. 

“No, but wouldn’t you rather it smell like this than nothing when you get home after a long day?” Eren looked between the candle and Levi before leaning forward and smelling it. He had to admit it did smell good, like peppermint with a hint of something sweet mixed in. 

“So they’re practical?” Eren narrowed his eyes as though he didn’t believe him. 

“Yes, just remember to blow them out.” Levi nodded and added the candle Eren had just smelt to the basket. “That can be your first one.” 

“And how do you know I like it?” Eren said. 

“Because I did.” Levi replied simply. The raven walked away to go down another isle and Eren had to walk after and do a small jog to catch up to him.

Eren always blushed when Levi referred to their soul marks so casually. The brunet had stopped wearing makeup over his mark now and had it fully on display. Levi liked the change, though he didn’t want to admit that seeing Eren covering it almost felt like he was being rejected. The mark was a perfect handprint that went perfectly with Levi’s own olive toned palm, a sign of their fate. 

They went down a few more isles and Levi had tried to convince Eren to buy things he liked the look of, but the brunet always said no. He did pick up a little round mirror for his bedroom though, although Levi had tried to tell him a bigger one would be better. He got a fabric wash basket for his room too, and a few storage baskets he could put in his cupboard. Eren had a wardrobe and set of drawers for his clothes, he just hadn’t put them away yet. 

Eren paid and his things were bagged. Levi carried the pillows that had a little handle on their plastic wrapping, while Eren carried the bag and quilt. Levi took him into a few more shops, clothes shops, makeup shops (Eren hadn’t been able to wear it much when he lived with Grisha meaning he had very little in selection) and normal food and essential shops too. They went all over the place to kill some time. Eren had bought a few things here and there and Levi had too. Books, makeup, clothes, and a drink. They finally sat down for lunch, after which Eren could go get his pointe shoes. 

The place they ended up was a small Italian restaurant. The inside was nice and open with paintings on the walls and cute square tables that had white cloth on some and red on others. They were led to a table away from other guests who were also spread out. The waitress handed them menus, when Levi didn’t move to take his, the woman placed it in front of him. 

“You’re not going to look?” Eren asked nodding to the menu in front of Levi, whose arms were crossed over his chest as though the thing physically repulsed him. 

Still, Levi didn’t let it show on his face as he shrugged. “Tell me what’s good.” Eren looked at Levi’s menu one last time before turning to his own. He listed a few things off for Levi who didn’t look like he particularly wanted any of it. “What are you getting?” Levi asked. 

“Um... probably the tomato and basil spaghetti with beef meatballs. A hard dish to mess up really.” He said. 

“Great, I’ll have the same.” Levi decided. 

“You didn’t even touch your menu, what if I’m ordering something you won’t like?” Eren looked a little panicked at the thought. 

“You won’t.” Levi said. 

“Is this some weird soul mark thing or do you want to eat somewhere else?” Eren frowned. 

“Why do you ask?” 

“Because you haven’t touched the menu and your arms are folded like a child’s.” Eren quirked an eyebrow and watched as Levi unfolded his arms and forced himself to relax. 

“Sorry.” He looked at the menu then and made to touch it, but pulled his hand back. “You know menus have a lot of germs right, they’re never wiped down and people think it’s fine because surely they get cleaned, but they don’t. They’re sticky with month old food. Do you know how many germs people have on their hands? It’s practically a breeding ground for bacteria, you could catch anything off of a menu.” 

Levi finished his rant and gave a small apology again. Eren just watched in shock. Writing a mental note to himself that Levi could quite possibly be certifiably insane. Or just a very big germaphobe. It was probably the latter, everyone had quirks. Eren didn’t like people in his personal space and Levi didn’t like germs. 

“So germs, not really your thing?” Eren sat back and put his menu down. He looked at Levi’s and then picked it up for him and placed it on top of his own. 

“Thanks, and no.” Levi said. 

“You mind if I ask why?” Eren tilted his head a little. 

“I grew up in a dirty place. Lots of gangs and crime, the dirt was horrible and I wasn’t always able to get myself clean. I remember having my first proper shower with soap and from then on I couldn’t stand being dirty.” Levi explained. “My therapist said it’s a form of OCD, but I try not to listen to her.” 

“You should really listen to your therapist.” Eren said, exaggerating the last word. 

“Technically she’s not my therapist, just my really annoying best friend who just happens to also be my unofficial therapist who is actually a therapist. Amongst other things.” Levi said. The waitress came back and took the menus from Eren. He gave her their order and she was gone again. 

Eren excused himself to go wash his hands, it seemed Levi had struck something in him with the whole germ talk. Eren walked back to the table from the bathroom coming from behind Levi, seeing him sanitising his hands. 

“So, crazy best friend and germaphobe, sounds like the start to a bad joke.” Eren said as he sat back down. The waitress came with their drinks and the two thanked her before Levi replied. 

“Yep, throw commander eyebrows in the mix and we’re practically the three musketeers.” Levi said. He slipped the top off his paper straw that was in his cup and sipped on it. Eren had requested straws figuring Levi wouldn’t put his mouth on the rim of a cup if he wouldn’t touch a menu. 

“What are their names?” Eren asked. 

“Hanji and Erwin. Erwin is actually the one who owns my tea shop's property. He helped me out when I needed to get away from the whole bad living situation. I’d probably be in prison if not for him.” Levi shrugged easily. “Hanji is like a packet deal with Erwin.” 

“Sounds interesting.” Eren laughed a little. “Do you get to see them a lot?” 

“Too much.” Levi rolled his eyes. “I love the stupid shits, but Jesus they are annoying.” 

Eren snorted a laugh at that. “They can’t be that bad.” 

“Let’s revisit this conversation when you meet them.” Levi said. 

Eren’s smile dropped and he looked increasingly more anxious. Levi was about to ask what was wrong, but Eren spoke up before he could. “I- you want me to meet them?” 

“Well yeah, someday.” Levi said. 

“You really aren’t giving up on the whole soulmate thing, huh? Even after what I told you.” Eren’s voice was quieter than before.

“Of course not, you can’t scare me away, Eren.” Levi studied him for a moment and spoke again. “You think you’re wrong, or I don’t know, not worth it, well I don’t. I think you’re worth more than anyone... next to my sister, my point is you are worth it. It’s not a chore to be with you and I’m not disappointed with my mark, quite the opposite. So I’m going to keep getting to know you, and I’m going to prove to you that you deserve to be happy.” 

Eren was watching Levi as he spoke, looking as though he was afraid that if he looked away the man would disappear. He tore his eyes from Levi and looked at the table, fingering the red cloth. Luckily (and slightly unfortunately) the waitress came over with their meals. Eren thanked her before starting to eat so he didn’t have time to say anything about Levi’s little speech. Eren looked guilty, he knew Levi was aware of this. Levi wanted him, that was clear, but he needed to build trust and that happened over time. 

They finished lunch in almost silence apart from a few words here and there, mostly from Levi. The raven tried to pay for their food, but Eren beeped his card first on the contactless screen. The waitress had at least found Eren’s victory amusing. It seemed their little battle over who was paying lightened the air, and soon they were making easy conversation again as they walked back to Levi’s car. Levi kept checking on Eren to make sure he was okay, but the brunet never gave anything away. After Levi had told him he wore his emotions it seemed the brunet had been doing everything to not let Levi see how he was really feeling. 

The shop was just a little ways out of town, Levi was able to park outside it and the two got out of the car. Eren thought Levi looked a little comical walking into the shop, all black clothes and clearly out of place. The inside had a fluffy light grey carpet, the floor and the walls were white. Each wall was lined with high white shelves of shoes, slippers, dance wear, and even some stretching gear. There were some dark grey cushioned benches and a few people around tending to customers, a girl looking like she was getting her first pair of pointe shoes. They were greeted by a woman in black trousers and a black shirt on and her hair in a neat donut bun at the back of her head. 

“Hi, how can I help you?” She greeted the two, clearly eyeing up Levi who definitely didn’t fit into their little shop. 

“I’m here to get some pointe shoes.” Eren said. 

“Oh... well you know men don’t usually wear them. Have you tried some before?” She led the two to an empty bench and they sat down while the woman stayed standing. 

“Yeah, I’ve been using them for eight years.” Eren explained. The woman’s face got a little brighter then. 

“Well okay then. Let me get our measuring equipment and we can go from there.” She happily walked away with that. 

The very cheery woman came back with a wooden measuring apparatus and placed it in front of Eren, she told him to remove his shoes and socks. Eren placed the heel of his foot at the very back and the woman moved a slider down to his big toe, wrote the measurements and then did the same for the next. She went away asking Eren if he preferred white or pink, he said he didn’t have a preference which made her job easier. Eren and Levi were left alone for a while, both seeing a girl getting her first pointe shoes and going into second position while the woman attending looked at the slipper to see how it fit. Their shop assistant came back with three boxes in hand and set them down next to Eren, getting a slipper from the first box. 

It was pink, she handed it to Eren who slipped it onto his foot and took the next doing the same. She asked a few questions on how they felt and then brought him to a small bar with a square wooden floor and mirror. He went into second position and then slid his feet out like she asked. She pushed the shoe to get a better sense of the fit and when she was done she asked Eren to go on pointe and checked the heel of his foot. 

“It’s a little loose around the heel when I’m on pointe, but fits around the front nicely.” Eren told her, already being able to spot the faults himself. The woman agreed and took him back to the chair to get the second pair on. 

Eren went through everything again and decided that these fit him perfectly, the woman wanted to try a size up just to be sure so he changed once again. Eren knew straight away when he put them on they weren’t right, the woman thankfully trusted his judgement and agreed with him. 

“Okay, I’ll go get you a pair of these, I’m guessing you know how to break them in? Are white pumps okay for you?” Eren nodded to both questions and thanked her. 

“So how far can you stretch?” Levi asked Eren with a small smirk, especially when his cheeks turned pink at the question with a clear hidden meaning behind it. 

“Um... far? I’ve never struggled with flexibility if that’s what you mean.” Eren rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Well now you have to show me.” Levi chuckled, leading Eren to the till where the woman who had helped them earlier stood. 

“If you’re good.” Eren pulled his tongue out at Levi. 

He paid for the pointe shoes and still had some money on the card, but he decided to save it for a later date. The two left the shop and Eren thanked Levi for taking him. They got back in the car and drove home. Levi parked outside his house but they both went into Eren’s. 

The flexibility thing never got dropped, so Eren gave in and led Levi to the living room. He dropped down into the splits with ease and found confidence in the look on Levi’s face. He stood and then one upped it and placed his front leg on the chair resting at the ankle and went into the splits again. The look on Levi’s face was priceless and Eren couldn’t help but giggle at it. He sat back on the floor on his knees and looked to Levi with a smug smile. 

“You’re very flexible.” He muttered. 

“You look terrified.” Eren laughed. 

Levi shook his head though, “No, just thinking of all the ways I could take you.” 

It was Eren’s turn to look completely and utterly wide eyed. His cheeks flared to a brilliant red and his mouth hung open. “Levi!” He hid his face in his hands. 

“Please tell me I didn’t just hear that.” The two looked to the door where Carla was standing with a washing basket in hand. Neither of them had known she was even home. Eren went impossibly more red while Levi looked a little mortified but also very smug at the same time. “Are you two hiding something?” 

“No! I- we never, we haven’t- I’ve never even- ugh.” Eren hid his face in his hands again and shook his head. “This is so embarrassing.” 

“Did you just admit to being a virgin?” Levi chuckled, that earned him a whack on the arm from Carla. 

“Stop!” Eren whined into his hands. 

“You two better not be breaking in my house.” Carla quirked an eyebrow. Levi couldn’t read if she was joking or being serious. 

“Mama!” Eren shrieked. 

“We can break in my house instead.” Levi gave a wink to that and got another whack from Carla who looked... annoyed? Maybe? 

“Jesus Christ I’ve never wanted to die more.” Eren muttered. “We’re not breaking in anyone’s house, no bed shaking, just, no sex. Sex is off the table.” 

“That implies that something is on the table.” Carla glanced at her son, unimpressed. 

“Friendship, friendship is on the table. Friends don’t have sex!” He shrieked. 

“Well actually-“ Levi started. 

“Don’t you dare.” Carla hissed at him. Levi just chuckled at her and her son before holding his hands up in fake surrender. “Alright, alright, we promise we’re not having sex or anything related.” 

Carla nodded and left the room to go put the washing on. “Although I’m not opposed to it.” Levi mumbled. 

“I can still hear you, Ackerman!” Carla called from the kitchen. 

“You are so embarrassing.” Eren glared at Levi.   
•

•  
Decorating the house was hard. Eren and his mother basically shut themselves in for the rest of Friday and Saturday. Eren only took a few hours break to go into town with Isabel on Sunday like he’d promised before he was back decorating again. They started with the kitchen and painted the walls a beige colour that matched nicely. They repainted the door frame and skirting boards, the back door was now green like the cupboards and they had to fit a new handle and lock since the key had never been given to them. At least now they could go into the garden. The flooring was light brown tiles with a few darker brown to make a pattern on the floor. A clock was hung up and a fruit bowl put out. Everything was given its own place and the entire room was scrubbed top to bottom. The last thing to go in was a large house plant in the corner by the dining table. 

Next was the living room. They changed the light wooden laminate flooring for dark laminate flooring that also went out into the hallway. The old sofa they had been using was now in a skip they rented out that was in their driveway. Eren had admittedly had a lot of fun breaking that up and throwing it away. On the floor was a large white rug that an oak coffee table sat on, then there was an L shaped sofa that went by the window. It was dark grey with white cushions and a mustard yellow blanket was neatly folded on the shorter side of the L shape. On the opposite side to the window was a matching armchair with another mustard yellow blanket over the back and a white cushion against one arm rest and the backrest, next to it was a small end table matching the coffee table then a shelf with most of Eren’s books on it. The last three top shelves had pictures in frames and small houseplants with a few of Eren’s trophies from ballet, a couple of medals too and pictures of him from his performances and some with him on stage in the centre after a competition. The walls were painted white and they had thin white curtains in front of dark brown wooden slat blinds on the window. There were some plants on the windowsill too and Carla put scented candles in the middle of the coffee table. On the wall behind the sofa was a huge canvas painting of some pink orchid flowers with dark brown branches and the background was a lighter brown with some shaded areas. The TV was mounted onto the wall above the fireplace that now had fire pokers next to it and ornaments on top of it. Two of which were smaller ballet trophies from Eren’s first two competitions as a child. 

The hallway now had a fresh coat of white on the walls and the floor had a white runner down the centre, by the door in the small footwell was a shoe cupboard along with coat hooks that had been drilled into the wall. On the wall that made up the living room was a large rectangular mirror, a houseplant was next to the stairs and under the stairs was a cupboard that now had storage boxes with Carla’s gardening equipment. She would be moving some of it to a shed in their back garden once they got a new one. Along the stairs were some family photos of Eren, Carla, and Mikasa. Grisha didn’t make it into any of them. One of Eren’s favourites was when he was five or so years old sitting on his mother’s lap at the beach. She wore a huge brown sun hat and a beautiful summer dress, white with yellow flowers. Her feet buried in the sand from the steps she sat on. Eren in only some light blue swim shorts and holding his mother’s hand on her head to stop the wind from blowing it away. Both of their hair was messy in the wind, but it didn’t stop them from smiling brightly. 

The guest room wasn’t much. They had put a single bed in there with some light grey sheets on the bed that had a squared quilted pattern at the top and on the pillows at the side. There was a white throw blanket set up at the foot too. A bedside table and a set of drawers opposite the bed next to a matching wardrobe. It was simple with a grey carpet and white walls with light grey curtains. 

The next room they did was Carla’s (after giving the bathroom a quick repaint). She had a brown wooden framed king sized bed with plush pillows and cushions, white sheets with a pink fleece throw blanket at the foot of the bed and on top of that was a white and pink quilt. The cushions were both white and pink too. There was a cupboard that had a wooden slat door and next to it was a set of drawers. Carla was using her cupboard as her wardrobe so they installed a bar in it and some storage drawers inside too at the bottom. Her carpet was white with a very fine ivory and cream striped pattern on it that added a little more warmth to her room. She had a desk with a mirror on it and her things neatly put in the drawers or nice boxes on the desk. Next to it was a shelf with books, photos, trinkets and houseplants on it. She had even stolen one of Eren’s ballet trophies and a pair of his first ever pointe shoes to display them since Eren wouldn’t do it in his own room. On the wall above her bed was a canvas painting of some pink flowers with a white background. She had a full length mirror in the corner near her window. The windows had light pink curtains with white wooden slat blinds and a few houseplants on them. 

Finally was Eren’s room. Carla had the most input because Eren just didn’t know what to do. He also still hadn’t unpacked and Carla whacked him when she realised he was still sleeping with a thin fleece blanket and no pillows even though he had bought them. The walls were painted a very light green that looked almost white. The bedding was plain and dark green so Carla added a few pastel green cushions and white cushions to it with a white and pastel green quilt on top of a white fleece blanket. The flooring was done the same as downstairs in a dark brown with a white rug next to the bed. His bed was in the corner of his room and on the wall at the foot of it was his cupboard that was painted white and next to it on the wall opposite the bed the inside of his door was painted white. A shelf was put up on the wall opposite the bed and window that had books on and the rest of his ballet winnings and a pair of his pumps and slippers too, photos and small house plants plus the scented candle Levi made him buy. The drawers were next to the wardrobe on the wall opposite his cupboard with a full length mirror next to it. The space was fairly empty and spacious too which Eren liked. He had some plastic storage drawers put in his cupboard with a few hooks to hang his bags on and a whole set of drawers just for his dancing and sports gear. His curtains were a thin light green material with white wooden slat blinds behind them and a few photos to make the space look like someone actually lived there. The table by the bed had a lamp with a dark green shade put on it. Eren declined having a desk, saying if he really needed one he could just go sit at the kitchen table. 

The whole house was done within the next three weeks. They had completely finished, from tearing floors up and mounting things onto the walls, stripping awful wallpaper in Carla’s room and putting tiles on the kitchen floor. The two were actually really proud of their work. The only thing left was the front and back garden, but they decided to have a few days of rest before they started on that. The two sat down together and did some online shopping for the gardens and picked out what they wanted in them. They had a small garden but the patio was a good enough size to have a barbecue and table and chairs out there. Carla also wanted flower beds along the skirting of the fence and one side was going to be a vegetable patch that she was very excited to start growing. She even bought books on it. 

To celebrate their newly decorated house Eren and Carla decided to go out for dinner. 

Eren now only had to wear an adhesive patch over his eye so it was a lot easier to hide when his hair was down. He straightened his hair before curling it since his hair had a weird natural wave to it at the bottom that wasn’t curly but wasn’t quite straight either. He only gave himself loose curls to give more volume to his hair. He then went through them with a bush and messed them up a little to make it look more natural, before fixing them into place. He’d stopped covering his mark altogether now so he only put a little eye makeup on his good eye. He knew his mother wasn’t overly happy to see Eren using things like eyeshadow and liners, but she was more lenient than Grisha had been. He put on some light blue skinny jeans and a white button up shirt tucked into the waistband of his trousers. With white socks and some white shoes he was ready to go. 

Carla had put her hair up into a neat bun with a few curled strands around her face. She added a little sparkly pin to her hair at the top of her bun too. Her makeup was simple and natural, highlighting her best features and bringing out her wide eyes. She put on a nice pink dress that had brown buttons all up the front and a little pink tie around the waist, she paired it with some black tights and black shoes, plus a fluffy brown cardigan that went past her knees. Carla added some perfume to her neck and wrists along with some silver jewellery. She was never one for high heels, so her height stayed small in her flat slip on shoes. She went downstairs and found her son waiting in the living room. 

Eren stood up when he saw his mother and complimented her on her look. He made sure he had everything while Carla got her bag and phone, the two then grabbed coats and stepped out in the darkening evening. It was six o’clock so it was getting dark still in early spring. Their days would soon be bright until nine and even ten o’clock at night. They left with Carla locking the door and Eren calling a taxi. When it arrived they got in and gave the address to a nice little restaurant. 

The restaurant had a warm glow to it as they pulled up. Eren paid the man thanks and the two stepped out of the car. He gave their last name to the woman at the front who led them to a table and handed them menus. The table was dark and polished with some condiments in the middle along with a drinks menu. 

“Everything sounds lovely.” Carla commented as she read the menu. Eren was easy going so he pretty much picked the first two things he saw and settled on it. “You never said how your first dance lesson went.” 

Eren hadn’t. He’d left and come back without much of a word. Petra was a nice woman. Short, slim, sturdily strong. She was beautiful with light brown eyes and short ginger hair, a few faded freckles on her pale skin. She looked delicate, but Eren didn’t doubt she could probably drop kick him in an instant. They didn’t speak about much outside of ballet, she’d asked a few things about his eye to try and work around it, but there wasn’t much to work around. She had mentioned how his school were idiots for kicking him out which had Eren laughing. 

He’d enjoyed his first lesson, and every lesson afterwards. Dancing was like a breath of fresh air and Petra was a very patient woman. She even danced with Eren when he asked and the two were putting together choreography for a dance. She held shows to help raise money for charities at the end of the summer and Eren had agreed to be in it, she was using him as a marketing ploy because Eren was well known within the ballet community as much as he hated admitting it. He’d just suddenly disappeared one day and Petra claimed this could be his grand come back. Although it wasn’t very grand in a small town where nothing happened. Eren didn’t mind though. He was actually looking forward to performing again, even if it was for a small town charity show. 

“It was good, Petra is lovely too, she asked me to dance in the summer charity show so I agreed.” Eren explained with ease, not too sure if he should go into further detail. “She asked if she could use me as a marketing ploy in the ballet community, I said yes.” He shrugged. 

“Eren that’s wonderful. You need to get back out there. I was looking at a few of your old shows online and a lot of them have new comments asking when you’re going to be back.” Carla said with a kind smile. Eren didn’t like to admit that he had fans, he had admirers and people who for some reason or another looked up to him, but not fans. It wasn’t like he couldn’t go out without being stopped. Eren lived a normal life outside of ballet, it was just every now and then someone recognised him and stopped him for a chat. 

“I’ll share Petra’s post when she announces the dates publicly.” Eren replied with ease. The two ordered their food when the waitress came back around. 

“Have you spoken to Levi? I’m sure he’d love to see you perform.” Carla said. Levi was a topic they didn’t usually get onto. His mother had of course seen their closeness, but every time she asked Eren he shrugged her off and gave some half made up excuse. She had tried to wring information out of Eren while they decorated, but he was stubborn until the end. 

“I don’t think so Mama, I don’t want to bother him and make him feel like he should come.” Eren told the woman. She looked a little disappointed at his words but agreed anyway. 

“I still think you should ask.” Carla said. “You haven’t spoken to him in a while, and I know because I see him almost every morning before he goes to work.” 

“Mama, don’t speak about me to him.” Eren blushed a little and sipped on his drink so he could hide his face. “It’s not like that.” 

“Does he know that?” Carla raised an eyebrow. “Because you know my one rule about-“ 

“Yes.” Eren rolled his eyes. “Please stop, let’s talk about something else. How’s Mikasa? You went with her for her scan last week.” He quickly changed the topic. Carla looked skeptical but went with it and launched into a story about his sister and the growth inside her that was also known as a baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos are much appreciated!! <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short chapter!!
> 
> I wrote this to celebrate the fact that lockdown is over and I’m finally allowed to go back to the ice rink!!! My skating has deteriorated considerably after two lockdowns. Hopefully there won’t be another one and I can get it back up to the level it was at and further!!! 
> 
> I go back tomorrow, so enjoy this chapter of Levi and a Eren ice skating <3

It was Isabel’s idea, a horrible idea in Eren’s opinion. Levi had jumped on the bandwagon of course, so now here they were. They stepped into the ice rink feeling the cold hit them instantly, Eren instinctively wrapping his arms around his body and pouted as he walked inside behind Levi and Isabel who looked far too happy. They went to the hire skate desk and were given boots that looked like they were falling apart. The three sat down on some benches at a lace up station, with a few people with their own skates of different variety sat around the space lacing up silently or talking with a friend. 

The boots themselves felt horribly uncomfortable. Eren was glad Isabel had told him to bring spare socks. He had on one normal pair and one pair of fluffy bed socks as did the other two. Next was figuring out how he was suppose to lace them. His saving grace came in the form of a small ginger haired girl who crouched down in front of him and took Eren’s skate. She rested the blade between her knees to keep it his foot still and started to tighten the boot. Lacing them up over the hooks and under, across and over the next hooks. Periodically checking in with Eren for how tight they were. 

The next step was getting up. While Levi and Isabel stood with ease on their own, Eren felt more like Bambi and he wasn’t even on the ice yet. The distance between lace up and the rinks opening looked too far away. Levi held his hand out for Eren who hesitated before taking it, being pulled up by the man and steadied when he almost fell back. Isabel was already gone, having rushed to the ice in the plastic boots. 

“This was a bad idea.” Eren huffed, gripping into Levi’s arm as though his life depended on it. 

“It’s easier when you’re skating.” Levi reassured. 

“How? It’s slippy!” Eren pointed to the rink where Isabel was waiting by the gate. 

“Because, the faster you move the more balance you have. Trust me, it’s harder to stand still in skates than it is to move.” Levi managed to manoeuvre them so they were side by side and he could take Eren to the gate on his wobbly legs. 

“I’m not sure I believe you.” Eren mumbled. 

The fact he had to step down onto the ice was a whole other problem he was facing. Isabel held her hand out and took Eren from Levi, the two helping him down. The brunet gripped the side with one and Isabel with the other, letting out a small squeal when his feet moved far too easily. He could hear levi chuckling as he stepped on the ice with far too much ease. Levi and Isabel had been skating before, not often enough to buy their own skates though. Eren had heard all of this in the car on the way over. How they could both go backwards and were steady enough to ensure they wouldn’t have any hard falls. Levi had told him it didn’t hurt to fall on ice, but Eren wasn’t convinced. 

“See, not so bad.” Levi smiled as he came around in front of Eren. “No holding onto the side, you’ll never learn.” 

“But the side is safe.” Eren claimed. 

“Exactly, how will you learn if you only stay in your comfort zone?” Levi quirked an eyebrow with a small smirk playing at his lips. “You should be good at balancing, you dance.” 

“That’s not really how it works.” Eren huffed. “Fine, just don’t let me fall.” 

“I’m not making any promises.” Levi chuckled. Eren took both of his hands while the raven skated backwards to pull him along, Isabel skating by his side to tell him if he was about to go into the barrier or a person. “Falling will help. You get the first fall out of the way and then you’ll realise how it’s not so bad.” 

Eren nodded. He noticed that Levi was doing all the work here, his feet were glued in their position which meant they had a few stumbles, but nothing close to actually falling over. Levi tried to teach him to move his feet. Starting with a marching motion to get Eren used to lifting his foot up off the ice. When he got comfortable enough with that Eren was taught how to push off with his foot to move along. Easier than the marching, but he could see why Levi had him do that first. 

“See, you’re doing it.” Levi smiled. 

Eren managed to pick up the movements easy enough, maybe Levi was onto something with his dance experience? While he wasn’t making any connections to this kind of skating and ballet, he was starting to see how his training as a dancer helped. He wasn’t looking at his feet much meaning his centre of gravity wasn’t tilted forward, that way he didn’t stumble over his toe pick, unless he forgot about it and accidentally dragged it on the ice. An almost fall that Levi had caught him on. With this came his posture. Once he was confident enough with Levi holding him he started to straighten his back and relax his shoulders. He noticed one of the experienced skaters bending their knee, trying that he found it easier to move. Despite this he was still stumbling, and his legs would sometimes go too far apart, he had a scare with tripping over his own foot as well, all of these Levi had managed to steady him from before he could fall. Isabel had left them sometime ago, something Eren was thankful for with how red his cheeks were, and it wasn’t from the cold. 

“Do you think you could manage with me holding just one hand?” Levi asked. 

“Um, okay.” Eren nodded. Levi letting go of his right to skate on his left, he was on the inside while Eren was on the outside with the barrier if he felt like he needed it. Levi had made them skate far enough away from it that Eren couldn’t reach out and touch it, something the brunet picked up on when he went to touch the sides to keep him steady. 

“How does it feel?” Levi asked. 

“It’s... strange, but not as bad as I thought.” Eren replied. He took a glance to Levi who had a content look on his face. “If I let go of your hand do you think I’ll be okay?” 

“Of course.” Levi was quick to say. “I’ll stay right beside you anyway.” 

Eren nodded and their hands slipped free of each other. He wobbled without the support, that was more of a comfort thing rather than a helping hand by that point. Still he managed to get his footing and straighten himself out. Levi was clearly going at a much slower pace for his sake, Eren felt bad, but he was also very grateful Levi didn’t just leave him. 

A moment when a hockey skater sped past them had Eren panicking. The sound of his blades digging into the ice made him jump, with how close he was to Levi as well caused Eren to worry about them crashing. Completely taking his focus off how he was skating and throwing Eren off balance. He stumbled and fell, managing to soften the blow with his hands out. The ice left like it would freeze his bare hands, his knees and hip were also damp. Levi stopped next to him and crouched down to make sure Eren was okay. 

“Sorry, he scared me.” Eren mumbled with red cheeks, still sitting on the ice. 

“It’s alright, it happens. The fall didn’t hurt though, did it?” 

Eren shook his head. The fall had been more of a slide once he’d gone down. The impact lessening with the movement unlike how it was when hitting solid ground. 

“No,” Eren shook his head. “You didn’t tell me it would be wet.” 

“Sweetheart, it’s ice, what did you expect?” Levi chuckled, holding his hand out which Eren took to be helped up. He was blushing at Levi calling him ‘sweetheart’. The pet name caused Eren’s heart rate to speed up. 

Once steady on the blades again he and Levi started to skate around. Eren picking up a little speed as they went. The two were joined by Isabel for a few minutes until she got bored again and decided she liked skating faster on her own. 

Levi started to skate closer to Eren until their hands brushed against each other. Eren was shocked when he felt Levi slip his hand into His own and lace their fingers. The action so smooth Eren would have almost believed they’d been holding hands the entire time. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and squeezed Levi’s hand, getting a squeeze back. 

“I don’t need you to hold my hand now.” Eren mumbled, half hoping Levi didn’t catch the words. 

“I know.” The raven shrugged, not removing his hand from Eren’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will resume the main story again on the next update!!
> 
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im so sorry it’s been a while since I updated!!! I’ve been busy with uni work and don’t feel very well mentally rn so it’s been a struggle to do much of anything that I enjoy. :// 
> 
> That being said I hope you’re all safe and well and having a great December whether you celebrate holidays or not :33 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter!!! It’s not been beta bc I just wanted to get something out to you guys!! Prepare yourself because the angst is coming.....

“Sorry about not speaking for a while.” Armin said as he stood next to Eren on the Jaeger front porch. He’d come over with Mikasa again and this time without Jean. Eren had gone outside to smoke, to actually smoke this time, and Armin followed him out. He’d taken a cigarette from Eren and lit it. Armin was a social smoker not a regular one. While Eren was a stress smoker. The brunet flicked ash from the end of his stick and onto the grass below from where he was leaning over the balcony fence. 

Eren only hummed and a silence settled over them while the two continued to smoke. Armin looked in desperate need of a reply, but Eren decided to make him wait. He slowly finished his cigarette and put it out in the plant pot before walking back to Armin who was staring at the smoke coming from the end of his own cigarette. 

“Is that all you have to say? A hum?” Armin sounded angry now. 

“There’s not much else I can say. I needed a friend and you weren’t there, I don’t forgive you.” Eren answered in a calm voice that only angered Armin further. His best friend -so called best friend had a temper that was surprisingly scary. Eren didn’t show any emotion though which was what angered Armin further. 

“Eren this is just petty, you’re so stubborn-“ 

“And reckless, stupid, oh and don’t forget blind.” Eren added onto Armin’s anger. “I got stabbed, and all you said was get well soon, so no I don’t forgive you.” 

“This isn’t just about you.” Armin claimed. 

“No, it’s about you and your guilt.” Eren looked at him directly now. “You were my friend Ar, then Mikasa came into our lives and suddenly it was all about her and what she wanted. You followed her around like a damn dog and left me behind. Just because you have some stupid crush-“ 

Armin punched Eren directly in the face under his good eye. The brunet held his cheek and looked up at the shocked blond who was slowly dropping his fist. Armin looked scared by his actions while Eren just got angry. 

“Get over yourself Armin, she’s found her soulmate, don’t punch me for telling you the truth.” Eren hissed. 

“I-I’m Sorry, I didn’t mean-“ Armin tried. 

“I don’t want you talking to me again, just piss off and leave me alone.” Armin took a few steps back and then turned around to go inside again. If Eren was younger he might have punched Armin back, that’s what he did to all the people who hit him at school. He got enough abuse from his father, at least at school he could fight back and have a chance at winning. Now though, Eren was so tired, not physically, mentally exhausted though. He just didn’t have a fight in him so instead he used his words which seemed just as effective at getting his point across. 

“That was quite the punch.” A new voice said. Eren looked up to see Levi walking over, great. Eren sighed and plastered on a fake amused face. 

“I’ve had better, could do with putting more of his body into it.” Eren replied. 

“You don’t need to joke about it, I see right through that fake smile.” Levi looked at him seriously with his arms folded. 

“I never said I was joking.” Eren quirked an eyebrow up. “So what, you keeping tabs on me now?” 

“Should I?” Levi questioned, sounding a little serious about it. “I just got back from a friends house, pulled up just as he punched you.” 

“Just my luck. My knight in shining amour, late to the party.” Eren hummed in amusement. 

“Well I would have been here sooner, but someone hasn’t been texting me back for almost a whole month.” Levi replied back. So maybe it had been four weeks since Eren had actually spoken to Levi, even over the phone, he was just nervous. After what he said in the living room and all the soulmate remarks it scared him. Levi seemed completely okay and cool about it while Eren was freaking out because he really thought he wasn’t good enough to be a soulmate. He was surprised he even had a mark. 

“I’ve been busy.” Eren shrugged. 

“You’re a bad liar.” Levi said back. “Petra invited me to the charity show, you’re dancing in it?” 

“It’s nothing, just a show, I probably won’t even be good, outshined by an eight year old in a tutu.” 

“We can get you a tutu if you like?” Levi chuckled. “I looked you up too.” 

“Why would you ever do that?” Eren sighed, probably his mother-

“Your mother sent me a link.” There it was. Thanks mama you’re butting in once again. Eren groaned. “You have a lot of fans, I was actually shocked when I saw your Instagram.” 

“They’re admirers people who for some strange reason like seeing me dance. Fans are for famous people.” Eren deadpanned. 

Levi shrugged, “You’re fairly well known from what I’ve seen.” 

“What have you seen?” 

“So much.” Levi laughed. “I think my favourite was watching seven year old you being lifted because you were the smallest in the group.” 

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Eren sighed. “Please tell me you didn’t watch my Overture Zaide performance.” 

“The Mozart music? Of course.” Levi chuckled. “How old were you then?” 

“Like thirteen, I was going through a phase.” Eren rolled his eyes. 

“Evidently.” Levi laughed. “So why haven’t I heard from you for the past month?” 

Eren considered telling Levi the truth, but he wasn’t sure how he would take it. Once you found your soulmate you were suppose to instantly click. Any soulmates in their position would have seen each other’s beds by now at least, probably introduced them to people who were important to them. Eren felt horrible for doing this to Levi, and he should probably talk about it which apparently helped people in his station, but he refused therapy that his mother was now going to, and he had no friends apart from the Ackerman siblings, so really he was stuck between a rock and a hard place and somehow he’d only brought it on himself. Then again, maybe if he told Levi he could help Eren work it out. 

“You scared me.” He admitted. Levi’s face turned into confusion, probably trying to think back as to what could have scared him. “I-I’ve never done anything relationship related, I’ve never slept with anyone, I don’t even have friends, or didn’t until moving here. It comes so naturally to you, the way you talk about it with ease and joke about it too. It scares me... I’m not good enough, but for some reason you won’t drop it.” 

Levi nodded, he went up to the porch and pulled Eren to sit with him on the swing. “Eren it’s scary for me too, I’ve never had a serious relationship, never really allowed myself to have feelings like that before. It’s not that it comes naturally, I just have a fake it until you make it mind set. And I’m not going to drop it either, because you are good enough, hell you’re better than good and it confuses me that you don’t see it. We can work on it though, together.” 

Eren looked up to Levi with his one wide green eye that looked glassy from tears. “Thank you.” He whispered and allowed Levi to pull him in for a hug. “I’ll try, I’ll try to be a good soulmate.” 

“And so will I, we can take it slow okay?” Levi brushed a tear from Eren’s eye and placed his other hand against Eren’s soul mark. 

“My lack of experience isn’t putting you off?” Eren asked. 

“Never.” Levi promised. 

“So you’re okay with it?” 

“As long as you’re okay knowing that I am the only person who will ever get to see you in bed.” Levi hummed while rubbing his thumb gently against Eren’s cheek. 

“I think I can live with that.” Eren gave a small breathy laugh and a smile, allowing Levi to pull him in for a one armed hug. His heart skipped a beat when Levi kissed the top of his head, and Eren sunk further into the mans side. 

•

“Your room looks good.” Levi said while looking around the space, he went over to Eren’s shelves and looked at the awards and photos. He smiled at them, seeing one from a competition that he had watched on YouTube only a few nights ago. He traced the frame with his finger, a smile on his lips. 

“Thanks, most of it was my mothers idea though.” He shrugged. 

“I can tell, I see you’ve used the candle.” Levi noted the burnt string in the middle with a tap to the glass lid. 

“It would be a waste if I didn’t.” Eren pointed out, he sat on the edge of his bed and watched as Levi looked around his room, he took in every inch, corner and spec of dust his eyes laid claim to. “You can sit down.” 

Levi looked back to the bed where Eren was tapping an empty spot beside him. He smiled and walked over, placing himself rather gracefully on the edge of the bed next to Eren. He watched the brunet for a moment, taking in his features and then moving to place his hand over the soul mark on Eren’s face. Eren leant into the touch and turned his head to kiss the heal of Levi’s hand, watching as the other blushed a little. 

“I can’t believe the first place you touched me was my cheek.” Eren whispered, he took Levi’s writs with both his hands and pulled it away to hold it. “Maybe the shoulder or even a hand shake.” 

Levi chuckled, “You had a no touching rule.” 

“I thought it was a slap mark.” Eren muttered. 

“It never will be.” 

“I know.” 

The two sat on the bed with Eren holding Levi’s hand in his own, his thumb rubbed against the back of the ravens hand as he hummed gently to himself. Levi watched Eren carefully, then slowly moved forward to hover over Eren’s lips. He waited for a moment, the brunet let out a small squeak by accident, but he didn’t move away. Instead Eren moved forward so their lips touched gently, Levi took that as permission to kiss him. It took Eren by surprise, he stiffened up and was afraid Levi would take it as rejection rather than surprise, that was until Eren started to kiss Levi back. Allowing the raven to gently guide him into the kiss. Levi’s hand went to cup the back of Eren’s head so he could deepen the kiss, the other hummed into the ravens lips and gently licked at his bottom lip. 

Eren fell back on the bed and pulled Levi with him. The raven chuckled at the action and held himself above Eren while they continued to kiss, Levi’s hand ran down Eren’s side while his other held him up so he didn’t squash Eren into the mattress, he allowed the wondering hand to trace over the brunets torso, just mapping out the body rather than touching to bring pleasure, he familiarised himself with Eren, not particularly liking how his ribs were very prominent against his body, feeling as though he was way too underweight. Eren was still beautiful though, Levi wanted to make sure Eren knew how much his body was appreciated, but he wouldn’t do more than this for now until Eren was ready.

Their kiss broke and Levi fell atop Eren, burying his head into Eren’s neck while the others hand came up to play with Levi’s hair. They stayed like that in each other’s company. Levi didn’t have to worry about Isabel for now since she was at a friends house, so he had all evening to be like this with Eren if they chose to. Levi pressed small kissed to Eren’s neck, not trying to get a reaction from him and instead to just appreciate him, Eren let out small giggles when they tickled in certain areas, and not once did he complain. 

“I could stay like this forever.” Levi hummed. 

“Good, because I don’t plan on letting you go any time soon.” Eren mumbled back. “You’re nice and warm.” 

“You’re personal hot water bottle, lucky guy.” 

“I am lucky.” Eren kissed the side of Levi’s head while the raven gently rolled his eyes and mumbled about Eren being a complete romantic sap. 

Neither of them was aware of the fact that they were being searched for. The bedroom door opened and Eren’s sister stopped in her tracks to look over the two in Eren’s bed. Her eyes wide, Eren didn’t want to admit that he pushed Levi up and off him rather quickly, Levi did budge though when Eren pushed him. Eren wasn’t exactly ‘out’ to his family. He’d always thought his soulmate would be a Male because that’s who Eren was attracted to, but that didn’t mean he had to tell his family he was gay. His father used to call him gay slurs a lot because he liked to dance and apparently that was ‘girly’. His sister looked shocked to see her brother with another man in his bed, a man who was a lot older and grumpier, who didn’t look like your typical male adult and had a bad boy charm about him, he was a softie really... well to Eren and people he liked he was, Eren wouldn’t want to piss him off though. 

“What the fuck are you doing in my brothers room?” Mikasa glared at Levi, clearly blaming the older man because apparently Eren was too weak willed to ever say no to anything in her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!! 
> 
> Comments and Kudos are much appreciated <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you’re all prepared for angst 
> 
> Sorry it’s short!!!
> 
> I’m a few chapters ahead in writing this and I’m thinking of ending it soon (won’t be so soon for you guys) but I haven’t even written the smut scene yet.... whoops. 
> 
> Also I’m thinking of doing a BDSM centred story with Levi/Eren (Dom Levi and Sub Eren) but I was thinking of maybe making it a poly relationship. I’m unsure on who I’d want to add in, no more than four though. (4 is the limit) if you guys have anyone in mind or anyone you’d like to see in it please let me know! Also if you’re up for reading smth like that. I’m new in the community so I’m hoping the research for this fic will also help me too!

“What the fuck are you doing in my brothers room?” Mikasa glared at Levi, clearly blaming the older man because apparently Eren was too weak willed to ever say no to anything in her mind. 

“What’s it to you?” Levi frowned back at her in a disgusted tone.

“Eren doesn’t need anyone else hurting him-“ 

“I would never!” Levi cut her off defensively. “He’s a big boy, if Eren didn’t want me here he’d say.” 

“Wonder what mama will say when I tell her, her favourite neighbour is sleeping with her son?” Mikasa said glaring between Eren and Levi. The brunet flushed a bright red at her words. 

“Mika don’t-“ Eren said quickly. “We haven’t- we never had sex. Just please don’t tell Mama.” 

“Why not? You have a boy in your room.” Mikasa said. 

“That’s rich coming from someone who’s pregnant.” Levi muttered. 

“I’m a woman, I’m allowed men in my room.” Mikasa claimed. 

“So it’s like that is it?” Levi rolled his eyes as he sat up properly off the bed and then stood, stretching his arms back a little. “Narrow minded bigots, so what if we like guys?” 

“So what- are you serious? You’re corrupting him! His soulmate isn’t going to want-“ Mikasa started. 

“Levi is my soulmate!” Eren cut her off, his eyes widened then and a hand went over his mouth. Levi looked shocked at his words, but not mad, and Mikasa looked pissed off. She looked about ready to punch something... or someone. 

“You slapped him?!” She yelled at Levi. 

“Jesus Christ, no, it’s not a slap mark.” Levi grumbled. He went over to Eren and pressed his hand against Eren’s cheek to line it up with the pale mark. “See.” 

“This is so wrong.” Mikasa half whispered. She slowly back out of the room and then went towards the stairs. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.... oh shit- she’s gonna tell... oh fuck-“ Eren’s hands went to his hair as he tugged on the locks. 

“You don’t want people knowing about us?” Levi questioned. 

“It’s not that.” Eren shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to calm his breathing before he could have a panic attack. “Being gay... or whatever, me liking another man, it’s not allowed- I’m not allowed- fuck I need to stop her!” 

Levi watched as Eren ran past him out of the room. It took him a moment before he was following Eren. The brunet was ahead of him so by the time he reached the kitchen he saw the aftermath so to speak, Eren stood there in tears while his sister looked pissed off with her arms folded above her small baby bump, her souls mate stood next to her looking a little apologetic towards Levi when he stumbled in, and the blond who’d punched Eren earlier sat at the table with wide eyes. Eren was in tears with his hand clutching the front of his top as something to keep him grounded, Carla held onto the counter top with one hand to steady herself while the other was at her lips with her eyes glassy with tears. Levi couldn’t understand why Mikasa would tell Eren’s mother that, they were siblings, they were suppose to have each other’s back and she had completely thrown him under the bus here. 

Maybe Levi had missed something while he got to know the Jaegers. He’d never taken Carla as someone who would discriminate against a group of people, she seemed too sweet for that, but sometimes it was the way someone was brought up or the views they had always had to live by and never needed to know or care about a difference. Until her son was outed anyway. She looked utterly betrayed when she saw Levi enter. Eren couldn’t help who he was attracted to and he certainly couldn’t control who his soulmate was. 

“I just can’t believe I never saw it coming... sweetie we can get you help.” Carla went to step towards Eren, but her son was quick in moving back. 

It wasn’t Eren who spoke though, and everyone was very shocked when the person who spoke up was Jean. “He doesn’t need help, so he’s attracted to dudes and has a male soulmate. You can’t just decide these things, Eren there’s nothing wrong with you.” 

Eren nodded his head as more tears slipped down his face. “Mama I really like Levi, I want to be his soulmate and he’s good to me-“ 

“No this is all wrong.” Carla shook her head. 

“How can it be wrong? People loving each other no matter their gender is not wrong.” Jean said with a heavy set frown. “If you’re mad or disgusted with Eren then be the same with me to, I had a boyfriend for two years in sixth form before I went to university and met Mika.” 

“You’re better now though, you’re with Mikasa.” Carla said. 

“It’s not a sickness.” Jean stated. He looked to Eren who was trying to make himself look smaller. “You love who you love, there’s nothing wrong with it.”

“I know.” Eren whispered. 

“You made these jokes and I was worried Levi was getting to close, but I never saw this... Eren, please you don’t have to be with your soulmate, you can marry a nice girl-“ 

“I don’t want to, Mama.” Eren cut her off. He stumbled back and bumped into Levi who steadied him. 

“I hate to admit it, but you’re father was right...” Carla half whispered. “I never should have let you take dance lessons, I wasn’t strict enough, this is my fault.” 

“Mama it’s not your fault Eren’s broken.” Mikasa rolled her eyes. 

“I’m not-“ Eren’s voice was weak as it broke and a fresh wave of tears came. 

“He’s not fucking broken Mika!” Jean yelled at her. 

“But-“ 

“Shut the fuck up everyone!” Levi dared everyone with a single look to try and talk out of turn. “This is who we are, I like men, specifically Eren, and I’m sure the feelings mutual on his part too. If you can’t accept that then don’t fucking say shit, it isn’t your life. Carla, Eren is your son and after everything you have both been through I expected more... shit what you’re doing is no better to how his father treated him, and that shit bag stabbed him. Think about how you’re making Eren feel, how you’re affecting him. He just wants to live in peace, with no one on his case about something and without being hurt. Eren can come stay with me and Issy if he wants until you’ve got rid of those narrow minded ways, both of you.” Levi glared between Carla and Mikasa. 

“You can’t just take my son away.” 

“He’s twenty years old, if Eren wants to stay in a house where he’s accepted then he can.” Levi dared her to argue on that, Carla backed down though, what Levi had said was true. Eren was an adult, he could move out and live on his own if he wanted. 

“I-I’m not...” Eren stumbled, looking to the floor while Levi kept one hand on his shoulder, the raven wasn’t sure if the contact was helping Eren or himself more right now. “Am I suppose to leave?” Despite his mother’s words, Eren didn’t want to move house again. He had hope his mother would come around the the idea and welcome them with open arms. 

Carla glanced at her son, then to the man who’s hand was firmly on his shoulder. “I think that would be best.” 

Eren swallowed past the lump in his throat, the tears coming easier as he shrugged Levi’s hand off of his shoulder and walked out of the kitchen. It took a full minute before Levi was rushing off upstairs after him, Jean hot on his heels. The raven made it upstairs first and to Eren’s bedroom, the brunet sat on the floor with a black empty backpack beside him and hunched in on himself crying. Levi was quick to go to him, practically throwing himself on the floor to wrap an arm around Eren’s middle and hold him close. Jean stood in the doorway, watching as Levi brushed fallen strands of hair away from Eren’s face and whispered comforting words.   
•

•  
“Levi?” Isabel asked, going into their kitchen where the raven was making two cups of tea. The floor was blue and white tiles while the walls were a light blue with brown wooden slat blinds and some plants around. A wooden dining table was in the room and the place had an overall simple look to it. A back door that lead to a neat back garden and the hallway that had laminate wooden flooring with white walls. The raven looked to his sister who looked sad. “I think I could hear Eren crying again, what do I do?” 

Eren had been there for two days already and he’d not left the guest bedroom. He never came down for dinner and when Levi brought it up he didn’t eat it, the only thing he’d drink is a warm cup of tea or water, and Levi was almost certain he hadn’t slept for a few days. He couldn’t be sure though, as Eren wouldn’t let anyone else in the room. He heard the brunet leaving during the night and very early hours of the morning to relieve himself, but that was about it. Levi knew it would be hard, and he felt awful his younger sister had to see it as well. Of course Eren was a priority right now, but his sister would always come first and Eren’s state was clearly upsetting her. 

“Nothing, don’t you worry about it.” Levi pat her on the head and placed the two cups on the table, it had been for Eren, but seeing his sister sad meant Levi wanted to be there for her first. He gave her a cup which she gratefully accepted while the raven sat across from her. “It’s really getting to you, huh?” 

“Well yeah... Eren is my friend.” Isabel pouted. “I hate hearing and seeing him so sad. Then I can’t sleep at night because I feel like I’m not doing enough.” 

“You’re a kid, Isabel, you’re not suppose to do anything.” Levi reminded her, she had a big heart, but sometimes there wasn’t much room for it. 

“It’s all I can think about though. I’m going to school and wanting to fall asleep in lessons because I can’t sleep here when I know he’s in the next room like that.” She looked down at her cup of tea that was warming her hands nicely, a frown set on her face. 

Levi realised that if Eren’s mood continued to impact his sister the brunet couldn’t stay here, he didn’t want to kick him out by any means, but Isabel was just a kid and she needed to come first. Without being able to go and speak to Eren about it, Levi was left to make up the decision alone. He could ask Hanji if Eren could stay at hers, or Erwin seeing as he lived alone. It wasn’t particularly nice, especially since Levi was effectively kicking his soulmate out for things beyond his help. He knew it would probably make Eren feel worse too, but if he promised to visit everyday for at least an hour then it might be okay. He could go after work and before Isabel got home, splitting his attention between the two. No matter how much Eren needed him, Levi still had the responsibility of taking care of his sister. Something he’d been doing for eight years now, something he had chose to do. 

“I’ll call Erwin tonight.” Levi decided out loud. 

“What? Why?” 

“It’s keeping you awake, you’re going to start failing your lessons and then you’re having to deal with a heavy heart from it all. I know you can’t help sympathising with people, Iss, but when it’s having this effect I need to take action. Understand?” The girl nodded, still looking unhappy at the turn around. “It’s not your fault, it’s not Eren’s either, but I have to think of what’s best for you, you’ll always come first.” 

It was settled. Levi would be calling Erwin that evening. After their chat Levi made dinner. He’d picked up a few cook books, he’d learnt a lot and come to find that he could be a fairly good cook when he set his mind to it. Knowing different recipes and how long things should be in for helped as well. He never knew how cooking could be so much like an art form. He started to teach Isabel how to cook as well, mostly so when she moved out she wouldn’t be in Levi’s situation of not knowing how to cook and feeling helpless about it. He could read a frozen meal packet and shove it in the oven for the right time, but actually making things from scratch was a whole different world. 

Eventually three plates were made up. One he was sure wouldn’t be eaten from. Levi set his and Isabel’s on the table. Filling a glass up with water he took the dish to the guest bedroom and set them on the grey carpet floor in the hallways outside the white door. He knocked and called to Eren, telling him his tea was outside before leaving down the stairs again. Levi and Isabel were mostly silent as they ate, both filling up on the food and then Levi cleaned everything away once they were finished. He’d give Eren a little longer until going to get his plate, worried he might be sleeping this time and accidentally miss dinner rather than intentionally. 

Isabel took herself upstairs to complete some homework she had, while Levi sat on his brown sofa in the living room that had warm cream walls and a light brown carpet with oak furniture and some bookshelves plus a TV along with some family photos. He pulled his phone from his pocket and scrolled until he found Erwin’s name -not that he had many people to scroll past. He pressed call and put the phone to his ear. 

“Hello, Levi, you don’t usually call. What’s up?” Erwin asked, clearly surprised that Levi had called him first rather than it being the other way around. 

“Hi Erwin, I have a favour to ask.” Levi said. 

•

Upstairs Eren had just finished most of what Levi had cooked, he’d felt bad for shutting himself away for days and probably worrying the Ackerman siblings, so he’d decided about an hour ago to pull his shit together and push it down, deep, deep down. He needed to act normal to feel normal. So he ate, and he drank the water, and he decided to actually go downstairs to wash his dish, apologise to Levi, and then thank him for his kindness. After all Eren realised he was taking up space here and clearly being a bother. He didn’t want to just be another burden on someone. He wanted to be wanted, for someone to actually enjoy having around and not feel like he was just another responsibility to care for. 

The brunet shoved on some socks and tucked his grey jogging bottoms into them, with a black hoody on he grabbed his plate and cup, leaving his bedroom for the kitchen. Levi would either be in the living room or in the kitchen, either way Eren was going to thank him as soon as he got down the stairs. Half way down Eren heard talking from the living room, not being able to make out what was being said though. He went on and got to the bottom step, walking to the living room door and freezing when he heard his name. 

“-Yeah, Eren.” Levi said, the brunet pushed the door a little and peaked into the living room. Levi was sat on the sofa on the phone to someone and looking at the black screen of the TV. “He just needs a place to stay for a while, his mother kicked him out.” There was a pause while the other guy spoke. “Because it’s too much, his mood is starting to effect Issy, he can’t stay here.” 

Eren felt like his whole world had come crashing down once again. Not even his soulmate wanted him. He felt tears spring to his eyes, backing up until he hit the stair banister. The shock of bumping into something with his numb body had Eren’s grip on the dishes weakening. Both when hurdling to the floor, breaking upon impact and sending a loud smashing sound throughout the house. The sound caused Eren to jump from his shock and look down at the mess he’d made. This is why Levi didn’t want him. Because he couldn’t do anything right. A voice in Eren’s head kept scolding him for being so useless. He dropped to the floor quickly and started to frantically pick up pieces of glass with shaky hands. 

“Eren?” The brunet looked up to where Levi was standing, phone now nowhere to be seen, Eren almost thought he’d hallucinated the whole thing. Until he realised a hallucination would likely be one where Levi let him stay and didn’t think him a burden. “Shit, are you alright?” Levi crouched down to start picking up glass as well. 

Eren didn’t say anything as he quietly tidied up, taking the pieces and putting them on the largest part of the now broken plate, Levi doing the same and allowing Eren to throw it away. The raven follows him in the kitchen and caught Eren as he turned to leave. 

“Hey, talk to me.” Levi placed his hand over the soul mark on Eren’s cheek, the action made him feel cold though, knowing how Levi really felt. It hurt. He felt like he wasn’t worth anyone’s time. “You’ve been in that room for two days, I was worried.” 

“You’re such a liar.” The words came out harsher than Eren had though they would, his sadness being quickly replaced by anger. First his father, then his sister and best friend, even his mother... and now Levi. Everyone wanted rid of him so why didn’t they just say it? Why pretend to love him? It was kinder to tell him the truth, not give him false hope. Everyone had lied to him, everyone had made him feel like shit and he couldn’t do it anymore. 

“Excuse me?” Levi frowned, taking his hand from Eren’s shoulder and backing up a little to get a good look at the person before him. 

“You lied!” Eren looked up at Levi now. His sea green eye and his clouded over eye filled with tears. He’d not been wearing the plasters when he was just stuck in the dark guest bedroom, he saw no point. “Everyone has been lying to me! You don’t care, you never have!” 

“I let you stay in my home and try to take care of you and you think I don’t care? Are you mentally deficient?” Neither of the two were good at handling their anger, it showed now. 

“Oh what? So you’re not trying to get rid of me? Pass me off to someone else because I’m too much of a burden, I’m just a fucking problem to you!” Eren claimed, his chest rising and falling quickly with the anger he was feeling. 

“You were upsetting Isabel! What was I suppose to do?” Levi yelled back. “Are you that stupid that you think I don’t care? After everything I’ve done for you, and you think I’d go through those lengths for someone I was just stringing along?” 

“My own freaking parents don’t want me! Why would you? Why would anybody?” Eren could feel the burn of tears rolling down his cheeks in a consistent flow. “If you all hate me that much then what am I still doing here? Why am I still trying? Jesus fuck- I can’t catch a fucking break anymore even my own soulmate hates me” Eren’s hands went to his hair and tugged on it. 

“I didn’t say I hated you!” 

“You didn’t have to!” 

“You’re being a fucking child! Over reacting to something before I can explain myself!” Levi gave. 

“You went behind my back and arranged for me to live with someone else because I was too much to handle! Fuck- sorry that my mother hates me now, sorry she kicked me out! Shit, what else am I suppose to apologise for? Sorry that I’m your soulmate, that we ever met! Sorry my father didn’t just fucking kill me, or better yet sorry my own attempts didn’t work-“

SLAP

Eren froze, his eyes wide as his hand came up to touch his soul mark that was now hot with the pain of being hit. He looked up to Levi who’s eyes were widen, tears making them glassy. He looked shocked... horrified at what he’d done. Eren started to silently cry for a new reason. Levi had hit him, he’d slapped him. He’d said it would never be a slap mark, that he’d never hurt Eren in such a way, and now he had. Just like everyone thought. 

“Eren I-“ Levi started. 

Eren pushed past Levi, their shoulders connecting for a brief moment until Eren was rushing to the door. He shoved his trainers on and didn’t bother lacing them up as he left, a hand to his slowly reddening cheek and tears in his eyes. As he was going down the pathway next to the drive a smart white car pulled into it. Eren didn’t pay any mind to the man getting out of it though, instead rushing off down the street while the strangers eyes followed him curiously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos help give me motivation <3 thank you to everyone who has already commented and given me a kudos I really appreciate you all and try to comment back on each one!! <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been so long and I’m super sorry this chapter is so short!!! (Plus I’ve only read it through once so be prepared for mistakes) 
> 
> Honestly I just sort of slumped after Christmas and avoided doing pretty much anything and everything. I’m not making any promises on having a fast update for the next chapter but I will try my best!!! I haven’t had any motivation to do anything lately and it’s probably to do with always being stuck in :// I’ll try to get another chapter out soon and have it properly read over!!! 
> 
> I hope you like this anyway <3

“Levi what was all that shouting?” Isabel said as she ran down the stairs in a hurry. 

“What happened?” Erwin asked, reaching the front door. 

“I fucked up... I fucked up so bad.” Levi shook his head, still in disbelief at his actions. 

“It can’t have been that bad-“ Isabel started. 

“I hit him, Isabel.” Levi cut her off, turning to watch his sisters eyes widen. “I- fuck... I hit him.” 

“But- but you wouldn’t!” Isabel ran down the rest of the stairs and hugged into Levi’s side. 

“Did he hit you first?” Erwin asked, he’d heard how much Levi cared for Eren from the man himself, hearing that Levi had actually slapped him was something he couldn’t believe. 

“No.” Levi shook his head, a hand now on Isabel’s back. “He was just saying all this stuff, talking about how everyone has been lying to him and that we all hate him. He started apologising for things that he didn’t need to be sorry for... he said he was sorry his father didn’t kill him, and that his suicide attempts hadn’t worked. It just made me so angry... and I hit him. It didn’t even register.” Levi explained. 

“Shall I go look for him?” Erwin asked. Levi didn’t reply, saying what he’d done out loud seemed to knock him back again. He watched the floor, hands shaking while one was gripping onto the back of Isabel’s top. Erwin took the initiative to go look for Eren. He’d gotten a glance at him before, but how hard could it be to find a half blind kid with a handprint on his face? The blond told the two siblings he’d be back and left, getting in his car and starting it up to drive the way he’d seen Eren go before. 

Apparently it was harder than he’d expected. 

After going the way he saw Eren walk, Erwin realised that the street went off into two different path directions, and ahead of them was a large fields that younger kids would hang out on or play football at the weekends. He’d just have to try both ways. He went right first, looking around and see that the street split off into side street and alleyways, he could be anywhere. He was probably hiding, knowing someone might go looking for him. Then again, Eren had voiced that he thought he knew everyone hated him, so really he’d have no reason to hide if he believed that. Erwin tried to remain hopeful. He managed to turn to loop back around so he’d head towards Levi’s street from the other way that he hadn’t turned the first time. 

There was no sign of him though, Erwin occasionally thought he saw Eren, until he realised that A) they had two healthy eyes and B) there was no soul mark on their face. He felt hopeless driving back down Levi’s street empty handed. He checked the time on his car clock to see an hour had gone past on his slow journey around. How had Eren managed to leave without a trace within a few minutes between Erwin getting out of the car and deciding to go look for him? There was a growing concern too. If Eren had said all those things and really did think that way, if he’d apologised for not dying before Levi could meet him then maybe... he couldn’t let that happen. Levi would be crushed and he’d blame himself. Not only that he couldn’t let a guy who’s done no wrong, but thought the whole world was against him die! 

Erwin was debating if he should go back and tell Levi he couldn’t find Eren, then his phone rang. Erwin was quick to dig into his pocket and pull the device out. It was Levi. 

“Have you found him yet?” Isabel asked, having used Levi’s phone to call Erwin herself. 

“Not yet, any ideas where he’d go?” He heard Isabel question Levi before she got back to him. 

“Levi says the only place he might be is with Petra, he dances when he’s stressed.” Isabel explained. 

“Alright, I’ll keep in touch.” Erwin replied. 

He drove towards Petra’s studio, on the way he called the women who was apparently at home. Her studio was technically just a space in a nearby gym that anyone could hire out. She hired it out most of the time though and considering nobody else used it they’d allowed her to put in some ballet bars and lockers for the dancers to keep their bags in. She said the receptionists know Eren and would likely open the studio for him if he turned up asking. That gave Erwin some hope at least. 

He pulled into the gym car park, Petra ending their call to tell him she was on her way. The broad blond man got out of his expensive car and locked it before walking up to the gyms reception desk. The woman behind it looked young, like she could be doing better things with her life. 

“Did a guy come in here earlier? A handprint soul mark on his left cheek?” He asked. 

“You mean Eren?” She looked up at Erwin, rolling her brown eyes. He noted the freckles on her cheeks that gave a younger appearance. 

“Yeah, he’s a friend.” 

“Eren doesn’t have friends.” The girl stated “What do you want?” 

“To know if he’s been here, or if he’s still here?” 

“Why should I tell a creep like you?” She scoffed. Erwin thought because she was young she wouldn’t care and just let him up, apparently not. Thankfully his saving grace walked through the doors. 

“Evening Ymir, is Eren here?” Petra asked sweetly. All sunshine’s and rainbows with her short strawberry blonde hair and big oval brown eyes. 

“Upstairs, he’s kind of popular today.” Ymir sent a questioning look between Erwin and Petra. 

“This is my friend Erwin, he’s also friends with Eren’s soulmate and he’s not been picking up his phone.” Petra lied smoothly. 

“He told me he left it at home.” Ymir hummed. “Or left it in the guest bedroom of his neighbours house, he’s been crying you know.” 

“He told you what happened?” Erwin frowned. 

The woman scoffed. “Like hell he would, but thanks for letting me know something did happen.” 

“What do you care?” Erwin said. 

She shrugged. “I like Eren.” When she saw Erwin’s deep frown Ymir laughed. “Not like that! I’m a lesbian! Besides that guys gayer than a unicorn, it’s not hard to miss. That being said, you or your weird friend hurt him, I’ll punch you both, ‘kay?” She smiled. 

Petra tugged Erwin away before he could argue with a twenty one year old. Erwin didn’t look happy as Petra politely waved a goodbye. She lead Erwin upstairs and towards her studio, hearing Eren’s playlist through the doors as they got closer. The two went in quietly, seeing the studio brightly lit and a locker being held open by a gym bag on the floor between the locker door and the side. It was open and things thrown inside it with a pair of beat up shoes on top. Erwin followed his gaze up until he could see Eren in the middle of the floor spinning. Every time he went on the flat of his foot his other leg came out and back in as he went up on his toes again to turn. 

Bother Erwin and Petra were stuck in some sort of trance while they watched. Eren went from spinning to foot work, using the whole space and not really having to look at where he was. A well practiced routine. He did some leaps across the floor and moves that Erwin was sure if he tried he’d break something. The way he bent so easily, how fluidly his movements blended together, he looked... beautiful. Eren’s hair and tight leotard made him look much more feminine. The upper part had full length sleeves that Eren had rolled up, clearly working up a sweat.

The music came to an end and Erwin felt like he was breathing for the first time. Eren took his finishing pose, being slightly out with the music his breathing was hard and laboured. He watched himself in the mirror, until a movement in the reflection caused Eren to turn and see Petra and Erwin. The woman clapped happily and went over to him. 

“Eren that was beautiful! You almost had it!” She cheered. 

“Hmm.” Eren nodded. Erwin couldn’t help but notice the deflated look that Eren wore. He looked like he was disappointed, almost annoyed. Likely at the two who interrupted him. 

“It’s almost perfect, just your time keeping, and don’t think I didn’t see you almost stumble.” She continued on. 

“Hmm.” Eren nodded. 

He walked away from the dance floor. Eren walked right past Erwin and didn’t pay him any mind, the blond stood shell shocked until he shook himself out of it and turned to see Eren picking up the gym bag from the floor. Taking it over to a bench he sat down and removed his slippers. Considering people were in the room with him he just put his joggers on over his ballet wear and his hoodie too. Throwing the bag and his shoes back in the locker and spinning the combination so it would lock properly. 

Without a word the ballet dancer left, Erwin having to almost run after him. He caught Eren in the hallway though, a hand on his left shoulder caused him to jump and stumble back. He cursed under his breath and turned to look at Erwin. 

“Who the hell are you?” He frowned, clearly still angry. 

“Levi’s friend-“ 

“The one he’s trying to dump me on? No worries I have a place to stay.” Eren rolled his eyes and started to walk away. Erwin went to catch up with him. Eren took the door in the hallway to open it, Erwin stopping him by holding his hand and weight against it. Eren jumped again. “Can you stop coming at me from my left? I can’t fucking see!” 

Erwin felt guilty then, he should of thought sooner. 

“Where are you staying?” He asked. “Who with?” 

“Why should I tell you? Creep.” What was with kids calling him a creep today? 

“Because Levi is worried-“ 

“Don’t sell me that crap.” Eren scoffed. “Levi’s just like everybody else, and I was stupid for thinking otherwise.” 

“You really think that about your soulmate?” Erwin quirked an eyebrow. 

“Who’s to say he’s really my soulmate? Do you know how common it is to have your soul mark on your hand? He’s humouring me at best.” Eren watched as Erwin’s arm relaxed even just a little. He took that chance to open the door harshly, causing the blond to stumble back before regaining himself and going after Eren. 

“You know when-“ 

“Jesus fuck, leave me alone!” Eren jumped again. Left side, again. “And if you’re going to follow me, right-freaking-side!” 

“Alright I’m sorry.” Erwin huffed. “You’re a stubborn shit, you know that?” 

“Thanks, now piss off.” Eren mumbled. “I have places to be.” 

“Like?” Erwin asked. 

Eren was clearly getting more and more worked up with every second Erwin was stood there. Evident by his outburst. 

“Like the bottom of a fucking river!” He snapped “Is that what everyone is waiting for me to admit?” 

“You were going to...?” Erwin said a little more calmly. 

“It’s what everyone wants right? To stop having to pretend I’m worth something, to get rid of this burden. I’m doing you a favour, I’m doing my parents a favour I’m doing Levi a favour!” Eren turned around and started walking towards the reception to go to the doors. Ymir was glaring daggers at Erwin, what was her problem? Petra was following them, but staying quiet for now. 

“What fucking favour?” Erwin asked, this time remembering to come from Eren’s right side and not his left. “Do you know how crushed Levi would be if you did that? Or Isabel? Even your parents-“ 

“Let’s get one thing straight, you don’t know shit about my parents or mine and Levi’s relationship.” Eren turned to face him with the fires of hell in his eyes. “My father blinded me after years of physical and mental abuse, my mother kicked me out because I’m gay, and Levi is kicking me out because I was upset over my own mother wanting rid of me. Does it sound like he’d be crushed to you? Because to me it sounds like he’d be okay with it.” 

Erwin’s face paled, Levi hadn’t told him all of that. He hadn’t said what Eren had exactly been through just that he needed a place to crash. Honestly Erwin assumed that they both wanted him to leave at first because their relationship wasn’t ready for them to be living together. Of course he’d rethought that right after finding out Eren had run away. 

“It’s been two days.” Eren’s voice was quieter now, he was wiping away silent tears while looking at the floor. “Only two days.” 

“Since?” Erwin frowned. 

“I was kicked out.” Eren hissed. “Have you not been listening?” He looked up, the fires gone and replaced with complete heartbreak. “She kicked me out two days go, of course I was upset. I still am... but I didn’t want to be a problem so I decided to pretend like it didn’t hurt anymore. Two fucking days and Levi wanted rid of me. Do you know how much that hurts? I trusted him.” 

Erwin wasn’t sure what to do now. Thankfully he didn’t have to do anything. Petra walked past him and Eren practically fell into her arms. He sobbed into her shoulder and held onto her like a lifeline while she rubbed his back and tried to sooth him into calming down. He’d been through a lot, he’d lost everyone he loved, been hurt by everyone he loved. Eren felt like he had nothing, Erwin knew that feeling. Feeling as though there was nobody there for you, nobody coming to save you. As if the waves of life just kept getting bigger and bigger and he was sinking lower and lower. He’d been there after his father, his only family had died. When he had nobody. 

“I’m sorry.” Erwin said. Eren sniffled and looked up at the man while wiping tears away. “I’m sorry for everything you’ve had to go through, and I’m sorry that my idiot friend couldn’t see that you just needed someone to be there for you.” 

“Why are you apologising?” Eren mumbled. “I don’t even know you, and you’re the only one who came looking for me.” 

Erwin’s eyes widened. He was right. Eren looked like all the life had drained from him, watching Erwin helplessly because he was right. Erwin was the only person who had gone looking for him. Not Levi, not Isabel, not his mother, a complete stranger who had no business caring so much. Even the taller man felt that pain in his heart. 

“We’re housemates now, why wouldn’t I come look for you?” Erwin offered a small smile. Eren didn’t return it, but he nodded. “Ready to go home?” 

Eren nodded, hugging Petra once more before leaving. Erwin offered her a goodbye as he lead Eren to where he had parked the car. Unlocking it he told Eren to jump in the front seat. He did so, clipping himself in and leaning against the now closed door. Erwin slid in the drivers side and closed the door, first he did was his belt before turning on the engine. He pulled out of his parking space with ease and started to drive off out of the car park and down the main roads. 

“You know, Levi is sorry, you can see how disgusted he is with himself for hitting you.” Erwin said into the silent car. 

“I don’t even care that he hit me, not anymore at least. I mean... I do care, just not as much as the other stuff.” Eren mumbled. “I care that he would so easily pass me off without even discussing it. If he’d just asked me, just spoke to me and said that it would be better for us as a couple and for Isabel if I lived elsewhere for now, I would be fine with it. But him going behind my back? It makes me feel like shit, as if I’m not wanted. Like all he sees me as is some dumb kid he suddenly became responsible for. Plus what was he going to say once you arrived?” 

“What do you mean?” Erwin asked. 

“I overheard him on the phone to you, he didn’t tell me.” Eren explained. “So when you arrived if I had stayed in my room what was his plan? To barge in, pick me up and dump me in a car? He’s the childish one.” 

“He is.” Erwin nodded. “I do think you two should talk-“ 

“No, just leave it.” Eren sighed. “I’ve done enough talking today anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated, I try to get back to everyone if possible <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short Chapter!! Sorry for the wait :// 
> 
> I haven’t beta read this chapter (again I know, I’m sorry. I’ve been busy with uni work and I hate to leave you hanging for so long)

They did have to go back to Levi’s place to get Eren’s things. He hadn’t taken a lot of stuff there anyway, clothes and some hygiene products, basic necessities. The raven did try speaking to Eren, who completely ignored him, acting as though he’d never met Levi before. Eventually he gave up. Eren grabbed his things and went back downstairs where Erwin was speaking to Levi by the door to the living room, he looked as though he was scolding his friend, but Eren couldn’t be too sure, and right now he didn’t care. Levi deserved to be told off like a child.

The creaking of the bottom step alerted the two into looking back. Eren had a large gym bag on one shoulder with a back pack on both and a smaller plastic bag in the hand that wasn’t resting a top the gym bag. Erwin asked Eren if he was set to go, getting a nod in return. The brunet was the first out of the door, Erwin unlocking the car for him and letting Eren go sit in the passengers side. Before he could get there though, his name was being called by a voice he couldn’t ignore. Isabel ran out the door and to Eren, her breathing laboured while she spoke to him. 

“Please don’t leave!” She looked up at him with worry filling her green eyes. “I know what Levi did was wrong, but he still wants to be with you.” 

“It’s better I go.” Eren told her, feeling awful when he saw the tears forming in her eyes. “Levi wants me to leave, so I will.” 

“But he’s sorry.” She said, lips quivering as a hand came up to brush the tears from her cheeks. 

“Then I need to hear that from him, not his sister.” Eren told her. “No matter if he’s sorry I have to leave.” 

“But why? It’s not fair, you keep getting kicked out of places.” Her eyes had a hint of anger in them now while more tears flowed down her face. 

“Then hopefully I won’t be kicked out of this one.” Eren tried to give her a small smile that was more work than he thought it would be. “It’s better for everyone this way. I’ll still see you, I wouldn’t abandon my friend would I?” 

Isabel shook her head, Eren’s words calmed her down a little as her breathing slowed to a steady pace and the tears weren’t as fast to fall. She was able to wipe her cheeks completely before another fell. The ginger girl moved forward and wrapped Eren in a hug, hands going around his waist as her head was buried in his chest. Eren hugged her back the best he could with the bags he was carrying. When the two pulled apart Isabel finally gave Eren a smile. Saying her goodbyes and going back to the house. Eren noticed that Levi tried to reach out for her, but she stormed past him. He didn’t want them to fight because of him, that was pointless. 

The brunet shoved his bags in Erwin’s boot and got in. He watched while Erwin said his final goodbyes and left, Levi waiting by the door as the car was started and pulled away.   
•

•  
Eren had his own room at Erwin’s place that was bigger than both the rooms he’d had at his mothers and Levi’s house. The blond man lived in a nice house that looked expensive, everything was clean and orderly. His one rule was that Eren never went into his office, that room was completely off limits. He did say he’d like Eren to text him if he went out and wouldn’t be back until after ten o’clock, but other than that he was free to come and go as he pleased so long as he was quiet if it was too late or too early. He’d seriously thought the man was about to give him a curfew, Eren could live with having to text him if he’d be out later then ten though, he did that for his mother for years. 

The bedroom had a large king sized bed with white sheets and a grey throw blanket at the end of it, the floor was laminate with a grey rug, grey curtains and white walls. There was matching wooden furniture and a full length mirror. Other than that the room was completely void of any kind of personality. Erwin told Eren to make it his own, but he didn’t have anything to do that with, besides he’d never been good at that sort of thing. He’d always needed his mother’s help and as of late, Levi’s too. Thoughts of the pair had Eren frowning. The energy to unpack was gone now. 

Eren wasn’t sure he’d ever unpack, not after what happened. He’d unpacked at home and then been kicked out, he had also unpacked at Levi’s and also been kicked out of there. He was afraid to settle in, Erwin didn’t know him so throwing him out could come at anytime the other got bored of Eren. He could wake him up at three in the morning and decide Eren was more hassle than it was worth. He hoped not, otherwise he would literally be on the streets. Eren realised he was technically homeless now, living with a stranger he didn’t pay rent to and who could shoo him away at any given moment, this wasn’t his home, he was just there out of pity. 

There was a knock at the slightly ajar door, Eren looked to see Erwin poking his head through. “You not going to unpack?” 

Eren looked around himself at the bags on the bed where he sat. “Maybe later.” He said quietly. 

“Do you want dinner? I’m not sure what you like to eat, but I’m a pretty good cook.” Erwin offered. 

“Not hungry.” Eren shrugged. 

“Okay, well when you’re ready we can order something in then.” Eren nodded at his words and Erwin thankfully took that as his cue to leave. Eren on the other hand just flopped down on his back with a heavy sigh. 

As the night passed Erwin went back up twice to ask Eren if he was hungry, still getting a no he decided to order pizza and keep one in the fridge for whenever Eren was ready for it. Which happened to be never. He appreciated the man for helping, but he felt like a charity case right now. He had nothing but the bags sat next to him, he owned nothing. True he had his emergency money also with him, but really, where was five thousand going to get him? The world was an expensive place to live in, and Eren didn’t have a job to get by either. Maybe he could look though? At least give him something to distract himself from the events of previous days. 

Morning rolled around all too soon and Eren hadn’t even realised he’d managed to stay up all night just being in his own head. Birds started to sing and the air grew crisp with a new morning. Eren was still staring up at the ceiling deep in thought, he’d not even moved positions or left the room to go to the toilet. He just felt... numb. Like nothing mattered anymore, the more he thought about looking for a job the more he thought how it was a waste of energy he didn’t have. He didn’t plan on sticking around much longer anyway. Nobody wanted him, so why should he? His thoughts were slowly trapping Eren, caging him in and making him believe the world would be better if he wasn’t there. 

He decided to wait until Erwin went into work. He owned a few properties and sold even more off, working from home mostly and occasionally going into his office. Eren knew this from one of Erwin’s many rants while they had been in the car together. He told Eren he wouldn’t be home alone much because he worked from his office downstairs, and only occasionally had to go in to meet with clients or sort paper work out. Eren thought he’d have a week at most until Erwin next left for work. A week was a long time when waiting for something, but Eren thought it’d be good to have the time to plan it properly so there was no faults. 

A horrible nagging voice in his mind kept reminding him of how he was taking Levi’s chance at happiness with his soulmate away. But Levi had already thrown that chance away hadn’t he? He’d kicked Eren out, not trusted him enough to see rationally and went behind his back to have someone pick him up and leave. He’d said all those things when they argued and hit Eren. ‘It’s never going to be a slap mark’ played in Eren’s head. The way Levi would touch his mark and how easily Eren had given into it. Stupid, he was stupid. 

He’d trusted so easily because Levi was his soulmate, he’d gone along with it and not thought about how bad this could be on his end. When Levi got bored, when he decided to toss Eren aside and go against his fate. How stupid he’d been. The nagging voice was shut down almost instantly, if Levi wanted him he would have placed more trust and more patience into Eren. He’d been going through something awful, and Levi clearly didn’t care enough to wait until Eren was ready to go to him. He’d grew tired of his soulmates tears and called a friend for help. If Levi wanted him around, as a soulmate, or even just as a friend, then he never wouldn’t have done what he did. 

To not arouse any suspicion, Eren got up from his bed and went to shower. He got dressed in some practice clothes and grabbed what he needed for his lesson that started in an hour. 

The brunet went downstairs and into the large kitchen. It was so open and bright, white tiled floors and very light blue walls with cream cabinets that had white tops. Silver appliances and minimal decoration around. There was a separate room coming off of the kitchen which was a dining room that Eren hadn’t been in. He’d only been in his room and the bathroom, now the kitchen. 

While filling the bottle up Eren heard when Erwin came into the kitchen, surprised to see his new housemate actually out of bed. Eren didn’t blame him, it was a shock especially after how he’d been last night. 

“Breakfast if you’re in such a rush.” Erwin said, holding out an apple to Eren before he could run past him. 

“Thanks.” Eren nodded, taking it from the man and humouring him by having a bite. Erwin stepped out of his way then to let him leave. 

After leaving the house Eren put the apple in the bins outside, heading off down the street to his lesson. He wasn’t very familiar with the area, but he traced back to the way they had came yesterday and when he found somewhere he knew Eren could make his way to the studio from there. Seeing this the gym as a beacon of hope, at least he could still dance. He walked in and scanned his card, Ymir not even questioning him anymore and continued on her phone as Eren raced up the stairs to the studio. He was there before Petra today. 

The brunet removed his jogging bottoms and jacket to reveal his tights and leotard, toeing his black slippers on he walked to the dance floor to start his stretches. The week would likely drag, but at least he could perfect his dancing until the time came to put his plan into action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading if you got this far!!! 
> 
> I have not finished writing this story completely so if you have any suggestions or if you want to see anything happen please don’t hesitate to comment!! I am here to fill your levi/Eren needs!! 
> 
> I would really appreciate comment and kudos! <3


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